Shimmering Darkness
by Tasia'sENDLESSDreams
Summary: With a new threat and even newer enemies Sora, Riku and Kairi fight to maintain the stability of Light and Darkness. Two highly unlikely heroines - a set of twins are keeping the balance and without them all will succumb to Darkness. So/Kai/OC Ri/OC
1. Warnings

**Hi^^ this is my first fanfic^^ It deals with Kingdom Hearts a while after KH2, so everyone has had a couple of months to advance in age. Like Sora and Kairi turn 16 and Riku is going on 17. Their are OC couples and a whole lot of magic, drama, and actiony goodness. Please read and review.**

**It begins in the world of Mauvera... a place that had recovered from the first wave of kingdom hearts and the darkness. This world contains a very unique and ordinary treasure... well, more like two.**

-

**Chapter One-A Warning**

The Inside of the Giant marbled castle shimmered like a polished gem. The corridors were in an odd simultaneous diamond pattern of black and white. A long amethyst colored rug cushioned the floor but did not stop the soft echoing of the footsteps that were being heard through out the beautiful castle.

A figure came further down the hall to the immense Mahogany doors. He was heading to the main chamber. The figure, though short in stature, did not decline whatsoever in regal authority. Clad in a black robe, the shape of his round ears were easy to identity through his hood, and even without revealing his face one could guess this mysterious and powerful figure's alias.

He reached the doors, and though they were immense they opened automatically at the easy wave of a hand from his presence. A light shone and the corridor inside was a great hall, with servants and other kinds of company hurriedly arranging and performing certain tasks as if they had been away from their work schedule for a long time.

A young page with golden curls about her head spotted the visitor and immediately took the time to acknowledge him and explain her gratitude in his visit and how the king and queen had received his message of the meeting. The King smiled and nodded and lifted his hood, the large ears seeming larger without the concealment. The page turned to a large set staircase and looked at the king as if ready to be used as an escort.

"Shall I take you to their majesties and inform them of your arrival King Mickey?"

The king nodded once again at the young page agreeing, "That'd be really helpful."

The small maiden then bowed and began quickly up the grand staircase with her royal visitor. Meanwhile, the king mulled over in his own thoughts, regretting the warning he was bringing to the ruler of this kingdom. It was truly known that the entire kingdom had been through enough in the approximate past two years. He only hoped that those concerned were more prepared than they had been last time for their journey.

They came to another set of large doors that opened magically at the small girls beckon and found themselves in an immense library with black and white book shelves reaching towards the ceiling containing vast amounts of knowledge. Several comfortable pieces of luxurious furniture and exotic art pieces were sprawled out over the room and on the white marble walls, each containing a color schema of black, white, or various shades of purple. The king walked across the black carpet and sat himself on a lavender chase lounge as invited by the small maiden.

"I will inform them you are waiting," she said with a small voice and turned to the door that was in-between the book shelves.

The king merely smiled and watched the young girl go. He hoped she would hurry, as much as he wanted this to be a leisurely visit to his old friends King Tinidus and Queen Lunada, he had the urgent duty to inform them of the oncoming trouble he had sensed. He had already sent a message to the three main key bearers, so he would expect that Goofy and Donald would be there to assist them so he could inform them more shortly.

As he waited he sensed the presence of a small oncoming group and turned to the door he had entered. He smiled to himself once he got a good look at the new comers. Three young women came in. Two of them looked barely looked a day over eighteen, and the last woman who was just barely sixteen.

At the head of the group was one of the older girls and took the initiative as she checked the room, clearly looking for the same individuals the king came to see. She was a good height, and her presence was emphasized by the shining black Mary-Jane heel she wore and the exotic staff held securely in her right hand. As she walked, she had long midnight black tresses that reached past her waist line. They were long, but cut in many thick horizontal layers that feathered out about her adding emphasis to her powerful stride.

Her shining, ice polished pale skin seemed to glitter in emphasis to the additional white surroundings in the room. A beautiful diamond shaped face scanned the room until her eyes fell upon the visitor. The eyes, which were nearly obstructed by low and heavily layered flipped out bangs, were a chilling rich ice blue in color. The full lips upon the diamond face parted irregularly from its usual look of seriousness and instead turned into an unexpected smile.

"King Mickey, it's a wonderful surprise to see you here," the girl said in a no-nonsense voice that still brimmed with contentment.

"Malia, its great to see you too." The king agreed happily, "How has your magic been coming along? I take it you're at full mage level at this time, as you were last I saw you."

The young sorceress nodded smugly, crossing her arms across her chest. She was obviously proud of herself and what she had accomplished since the last time he had seen her. He was glad to see she was well. He had been worried about her, to say the least. He had a lot of things to worry about lately and his list of worries only grew longer and longer with each passing day.

"Yes, I've been increasing my power, and also trying to teach this one." She said.

Malia pointed to the youngest of the group who merely was standing in the background. The girl bowed her head, a small blush forming on her cheeks as the King's eyes fell upon her. She shuggled her feet together and looked at the floor, finding interest in her own shoes. She seemed to be slightly embarrassed about her mentor's informal introduction but she wasn't going to say anything.

"Man its _so_ great to see you King Mickey! It's been like, ages!!!" an enthusiastic redhead chirped stepping foreword, seeming to be the other eighteen year old member of the group.

The fiery dark redhead had short hair reaching chin length that was heavily layered and parted off to the left side, yet held it out of her face by a dark pink head band wrapping around her forehead. Her eyes were a bright bottle green and were brightly lit with life, laughter, and enthusiasm. Her slightly tan complexion was sprinkled with freckles, and only added to her smiling oval face. She donned weapons all over her person, included twin blades in sheaths attached to her thighs, curved retractable blades on bracelets on her wrists, and a broad swords resting comfortably along her back.

"You too Felicity." The king laughed in merry agreement. "I see you still carry your weapons with you everywhere."

Felicity giggled and nodded, nearly bouncing with joy. She had always had a love of weapons. He knew that from the very first day they met. It seemed that people never changed and that old habits died hard. She was never without a weapon and she was prepared for almost every situation that called her attention.

"How else am I gonna train, like, 24-7!" she stated. "I'm sure my brothers can tell you where I learned that from."

Malia stepped forward again taking control of the conversation. She didn't want the situation to get out of control and have something bad happen just because Felicity couldn't manage to keep her head on straight. She was never one to beat around the bush and she knew the King wasn't there just to stop by and say hi, no matter how much she wished it to be so.

"Are you here to see the king and queen your majesty?" she inquired.

The King nodded.

"What's your reason for wanting to see my parents your majesty?" A curious voice in the background then spoke. It was the youngest one that then stepped up.

"Oh nothing for you to worry about, Princess Rhiaralai." The king said, turning to the other royal, "I just had a few things I wanted to let them know."

She nodded solidly. The king gazed upon the young princess in thought. It had been quite some time since he had seen her. She was sixteen now, and though matured, still with her distinct features. The dark ebony skined complexion of hers contrasted greatly with the lighter things in the room. A full head of long and thickly waved auburn brunette hair flowed freely past her shoulders. The lean, yet matured figure kept the inquiring look on her heart shaped face. Questions leered in her sharp almond shaped, dark amethyst colored eyes. Mystery played on her curved lips.

The king fully took in that she was still appearing as the embodiment of what she symbolized. He decided to change to a more comfortable subject and ease the conversation away from his warning. He didn't want to worry the young girl. Malia caught his eye, showing him a knowing frown. Felicity seemed to understand as well.

"How is your sister doing?" he asked suddenly.

The princesses faced changed into a smile.

"Very well, I think Sareila's somewhere out on the inner palace balconies. We've been going through lots of training lately, but she's probably spending her break there musically some how."

"And how's the training coming?" Mickey questioned eagerly.

"Hard," the princess pouted unresistingly.

"Well it's necessary," Malia began to lecture. "You're supposed to become skilled and well rounded in order to be fit to govern a kingdom or yourselves for that matter."

The princess rolled her eyes and turned back to the king, about to ask something else before the conversation became interrupted by the entrance of the king and queen. She smiled when she saw her parents and she swiftly crossed the floor to be at her mother's side. The queen smiled down at her daughter, with the kind of look that only a mother would have on her face.

"Oh King Mickey, welcome!" a rich voice boomed positively as it came from the door.

It was the King Tinidus, a man looking younger than his age with squared features. His dark blue eyes shining with mischeif and laughter as he caught his eyes upon the fellow King. His chestnut colored thick head of hair which was suiting to his regal crown, though the crown did smother his hair to his head, little tuffs were still visable underneath.

"It seems that he's been greeted already," A beautiful voice soothed cheerfully.

Queen Lunada practically glided across the floor. She was as graceful as a swan. She was radiant, with dark skin, black tightly curled locks, and pale silver eyes which matched in harmony with her silver gown. She strode gracefully to take her place next to her husband. Rhiaralai was standing right by her mother.

"We'll go so you can continue your meeting," Malia asserted in command to the royals.

They nodded and she led the other two out of the room. Princess Rhiaralai taking her place right behind them. Before leaving she gave a quick glance to her mother, who gave her a playful silent wink, making Rhiaralai smile more and continue out the door. When they were gone the door was issued closed by the wave of the king. He gestured for King Mickey to relax once more, as he and his wife took a seat on a plum colored couch on the adjacent wall. The Queen's gaze turned to worry as she met her silver eyes to the King's.

"So, your majesty, you said in your letter that your news was urgent. I do pray that this was not as last time you had urgent news." The queen said.

"We all know what became of the worlds when that ensued." Tinidus added.

King Mickey nodded gravely. "It was lucky that this recent second wave of heartless and darkness managed to avoid Mauvera. The worlds are restored once more."

"Thanks to your key bearers?" the queen asked with a kind smile.

The king nodded, grinning to himself now at the thought of the three strong young heroes, whom of which weren't getting the well deserved rest they needed. He then remembered the cause of his visit and frowned instantly. A serious matter was at hand and the fate of not just his world but all other worlds were tied to it.

"But I'm afraid there is a new sense re-stirring in the darkness that may affect us all gravely especially your daughters." The King said.

Tinidus cringed at the mention of more hardship to his children. As any father would he wanted no harm to befall his precious children but alas, parents couldn't protect their children from everything. He frowned as he looked at his good friend, hoping to hear about something that would protect the young girls.

"We did as you instructed and did not let them know much about their destined fates or past experiences. After they re-awoke from the first fall of the worlds they believed it had all been a dream." Tinidus said.

The King nodded.

"It's better if they do at the moment. I'm going to get right to it Tinidus. Remember when I first met with you after the attempt to obtain Kingdom Hearts was thwarted the first time." He explained.

Queen Lunada nodded in remembrance. She shivered when she remembered the events that had happened and all that was done to make it right once more. To hear that there was an even bigger threat was heart wrenching, particularly since it involved her daughters some how. She looked to the King, hoping to find something in him that the he had forgotten to mention.

"Yes, their essences had been returned to them and the kingdom restored after the fall of the worlds. That's also when you brought young Malia and Felicity here, to act as mentor to the girls." She said.

"Well I told you that even though they were safe for now, that they were not out of harms way entirely." King Mickey stated, "That was the reason for Malia and Felicity. They were extremely talented and more then capable of guarding the girls, yet young enough for the them to become close friends. "

"They are quite close with Rhiaralai and Sareila," The queen said, flashing a sweet smile.

"And sometimes your closest friends can become your greatest teachers," The King said and then with a smile said, "I should know, I've had several."

"Well you're saying the need for them to have teachers will be arriving soon?" Tinidus questioned, trying to find what the King insinuated.

The king nodded in affirmation, wishing that he would be wrong about it. However, his sources had told him and they were hardly ever wrong, especially since all the signs were showing up. He didn't want to put the daughters of his dear friends in danger but that was something he'd have to do. He had helped prepare the girls all he could and now the rest would be up to them.

"There is a new force that will be about. Possibly what I warned you of a year and a half ago. I'm not sure what it is but it will either be created or awakened." He said regretfully.

"Can you give us a time estimate?" Lunada persisted worriedly.

King Mickey shook his head gravely. "I can only tell you it may be soon. Just be on your guard. I may need the power of the key blades again which I will summon for if so. This is a matter that deals in the most confusing of darkness."

A theory of realization glimmered in Tinidus' eyes. "That means it will most likely try to obtain Rhiaralai, is that right?"

The King did not agree but merely got up and walked over to the lavender stained glass windows of the chamber looking out to the main terrace. In the far corner of the terrace there was a secured area leading out from a balcony somewhere inside the castle that contained tranquil gardens and fountains in the whole area. A young girl, about sixteen, could be spotted sitting happily by the fountain.

In her presence, the water seemed to flow easier and the breeze caressed more strongly. She was soft and in the most endearing ways, her ivory skin giving off a pale luminous glow, her large lavender eyes shining shyly beneath dark lashes. Her dark chocolate curls thick and full caressing softly against her face. As she sat and sang tranquilly to herself, the world seemed full of happiness and peace by her mere demeanor.

"Sometimes," the King acknowledged lowly, indicating his tone about the girl in the garden. "The darkness does not just seek more of itself to grow stronger, but to eliminate the main source of the light."


	2. Summonings and Senses

**Chapter 2-Summonings and Sensations**

The air of Destiny Islands suddenly became filled with excitement. The waves seemed to crash harder and reach out further, as if trying to coax the three heroes back out to the sea, back to the life of speculation and mystery that a new journey held for them. The ocean breeze once more blew and caressed their ears, whispering words of sudden adventure.

Even the palm trees blew foreword leaning with the wind to surround them, as if they were leaning in anticipation waiting for the revealing of the reason for this new summoning. Sora sat up eagerly his blue eyes now full of more excitement. Kairi panted as she held up the piece of paper she had been waving at them. The paper had been a message in a bottle, bearing the king's insignia on the front.

"It's from the King!" she said excitedly still out of breath.

"The King needs us?" Riku asked in wonder.

He didn't think a new opportunity such as this would arise so quickly. They had only just arrived back to the Islands after destroying the remainder of Organization 13. It had been a little over six or seven months, but the time seemed to grow shorter as they experienced the island almost for the first time after having been away for so long. Kairi and Sora were now sixteen, and Riku would follow shortly after to being 17.

They had all been through so much, even as wise and experienced as they were in the ways of things of all the worlds, it seemed like they were being rushed into these knowing by an unpredictable turn in their fates. Sora went and grabbed the letter eagerly from Kairi. She shook her head, putting her hands on her hips, mockingly.

"Geez Sora, impatient much?" She asked, giggling.

He just gave her his usual carefree grin and tried looking over the letter, but then Riku snatched it from him silently. When Sora noticed it was missing he turned to Riku, pouting like a child who had his candy taken away. He reached for the letter from the bottle only to have Riku pull back and wave it in his face taunting him. He smirked at the shorter boy.

"Hey! Come on Riku I wanna see!" Sora complained.

Riku just played a game of keep away while scanning the letter passively, Sora in vain attempting to jump and reach for it. It was much easier than it should have been but the look on Sora's face was priceless as he tried to get a look at the letter. The ever present pout was pressed upon his lips as he tried to get the letter. But with both boys laughing it was hardly something to mock Sora as much as it was a game to the both of them.

"This is so not cool!" Sora whined, "I finally get taller and you still can do that to me!"

Kairi jut shook her head and laughed at her two boys. It was just so wonderful to have them all back together again. Her heart was complete now. She was reunited with the most special people in the world to her, her closest and wisest friend Riku and her most caring and courageous friend Sora. She had a separate and special place in her heart for both of them. And it didn't matter where fate took them again now.

This time they would stick together and the bonds they had could never be taken away from them. She knew that if this new twist of destiny carried them to new worlds or even the darkest part of the universe, nothing would break the connection they all had. Riku's eyes widened as he perused the letter, taking in the message.

"So what exactly is in danger Riku?" Kairi asked.

She leaned foreword, looking over Riku's shoulder. He shook his head and handed the letter to her. Sora huffed and crossed his arms across his chest but it was all just a joke. He was perfectly fine with Kairi having the letter because he knew that she'd let him see it or she'd read it so they'd all hear it. He did, however, take his revenge by playfully punching Riku.

"Read it for yourself." Riku said.

She gently picked up the letter and began to read it aloud,

"_To: Riku, Kairi and Sora, the main key bearers of light,_

_Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the time you've had back on your island. You deserved it, the three of you did amazing in dispelling the darkness once again, but I'm afraid there is something stirring once again. I'm not quite sure right now, but I know I need the three of you. I believe a dark force may be at work trying to strengthen its power by means of a much more extreme scale. This of course links to Kingdom Hearts, but other matters play into it to. I'll be sending Donald and Goofy shortly to come and get you guys and bring you to Hollow Bastion. I'll meet you there. All I can say now is the forces of light and dark may be at stake, and any disruption in their stability is very important. Sorry again about this, but it's urgent. Take a little time to get yourselves together and prepare, you may need it._

_King Mickey" _

Kairi looked up from the letter concerned.

"So there's more trouble again? Wow, it's like it never ends." Sora stated.

Riku got up from his leaning position and began walking down the beach. Kairi and Sora followed after him. Both of them were looking to him to see what he was going to say upon the matter. They had, after all, just got home. They hardly had time enough to settle back in but that didn't really seem to matter in their minds.

"Regardless," he called to them, "We're needed again. I think we should take the Kings advice and get ready with the short amount of time we have. At least there was a warning this time."

Sora nodded in agreement, knowing all too well of how their last journeys had swept them away unexpectedly. He began to follow Riku to the docks to go back to the main island and Kairi came up beside him. He turned to look at her, momentarily ignoring Riku. The older boy didn't seem to mind so he walked ahead of them and began untying their boat from the dock while Sora had an alone moment with Kairi.

"I'm worried Kairi," He said softly, "What if this new threat breaks us all up again? I already lost the two of you once. I don't want that to ever happen again."

She shook her head and suddenly stopped Sora by grabbing his hand in reassurance. He looked at her, surprise lighting up his eyes but then he relaxed when he saw the look in her eyes. He couldn't help but smile as he looked her in the eyes. He had to admit, he had more hope because of her. She was one of the reasons he fought so hard – one of the more important reasons.

"We're all too closely bonded together Sora." Kairi explained confidently. "I doubt we're going to break apart this time. I'm not going to let that happen at least. And anyway even if the darkness had separated us physically, they never broke us where it really mattered. Our hearts were all blended together; we brought strength to each other from that part of our lights. As long as we have that, we will always find our way back to each other. Remember what I told you? In my letter?"

Sora smiled widely and remembered the letter Kairi had written to him when she was still trying to gain her memories of him back. He didn't know where he would be if he hadn't found her letter. He was so glad she sent it when she did. He and Riku might have still been trapped at that dark beach if it wasn't for that letter.

"There are many worlds, but they share the same sky." He said to her satisfied with a grin.

"One sky one destiny." She finished with a gentle smile.

She squeezed his hand as the final signal of assurance in the statement. He suddenly brought her close and held her, putting his hands around her waist. She followed contently with her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder. He held her tightly, both of them just comfortably in bliss.

"I promise I will never lose you again. You and I and all those close to us were destined in to remain apart of each others lives. I'm going to keep that promise, no mater what." He whispered in her ear.

She nodded happily, just enjoying being close to him. They had promised to spend time with each other everyday, all the time. This would make things no different. She was confidant that they _would _remain in each other's lives, no matter where things took them. The sun was setting and the two young companions lost awareness of everything else for a few moments.

Waiting for them by water's edge, Riku merely watched them with intense turquoise eyes. He was no longer jealous of their bond. They had been like that ever since they had returned to the islands. Slowly and surely restoring there familiarity with there friendship and each other. He knew that this was the way it was going to end up for a while. They were his best friends, he was happy for them. It wasn't as if a certain degree of their closeness didn't include him.

Still, he exhaled a deep sigh. It was just... they were each other's light now. He wondered if he would ever have the turn to find his. But then he shook his head. He would never get someone to be his light, not after everything he had done in the past concerning the Darkness. He'd have a lot of repenting to do before that would ever happen.

_-_

_The figure stood in the shadowed area of the mosaic tiled floor. As she tried to step near to him, a wave of images of him like lost memories came flooding at a torrent. Images of strange creatures made of darkness, crumbling worlds, a key to unlock the most secret of doors, a bearer of light, a door to the light. _

_Suddenly a light shown just as the figure turned to her. He seemed to be speaking, but it came out as silent mouthing words. The only feature she could identify on his silhouette was the color of his eyes, as clear and bright as an island sky. Then a shadow came up behind him, yet he was unaware, just standing there smiling. She opened her mouth to call alarming for him to turn around, but before she could muster a sound, a sleeve came and silenced her mouth, dragging her back into a strange vortex of darkness she couldn't find the means to escape. _

_-_

Sareila woke up. The images in her dream seemed like an obscure mixture of non-recalled memories and future events. Her eyes were wide. She felt completely to of her element at the moment and decided to get up and seek it. She got up, and using a wardrobe spell that her sorcery teacher, guardian, and close friend Malia had taught her, materialized on her person a dark purple halter bathing suit.

She grabbed a towel and silently went out into the hall, venturing to her favorite part of the castle, the man made hot springs in the far corner of the castle indoors that ran warm bathing water 24 hours a day. The best part was the surrounding waterfalls and tropic greenhouse like environment. Mauvera was a world closely full of the most unique landscape and was a society integrated with tradition and newest in modern advances, yet most of the things around were magic based since many of the members of the world seemed to be astute that way.

It was near midnight but this was favorite place to be, and she assumed that soaking in warm water and running softening conditioners through her long hair might help her to become drowsier and sleep better. Strange dreams had been plaguing her lately, and her nerves had been on edge for a while. She wished she could find something she could recognize in the recurring images but they all seemed so vague, like a memory… she couldn't remember. She hadn't experience anything like this about a year and half or two years ago.

She arrived and saw her fraternal twin had apparently had the same idea. Sareila smiled to herself. Even though her and Rhiara looked nothing like each other, the could always find a way to be in sync with each other on pretty much everything. If Sareila had been stirred by thoughts of darkness then Rhiara would have felt it too. They were both light and dark sensitive for some reason. No one could or would explain to them why they possessed such unusual astuteness and gifts for such things. They just told the two that this had been the way they had been made different.

Sareila felt as if her parents had some secret behind her and her sister that concerned them greatly that they didn't think the girls could handle quite yet. She had felt this ever since that extremely long and odd comatose dream about a year and a half ago. After the two of them had woken up to there land had been restored, the darkness no longer consuming it that was taking the other star worlds.

Sareila got into the pool spring adjacent to Rhiara's.

"Nightmare?" she asked, already knowing Sareila's answer.

Sareila nodded. She had Confirmed Rhiara's suspicions. The two girls shared a weak smile, hoping to fool the other into thinking they were okay. They hoped their smiles didn't look as pathetic as they felt on the inside. Neither was fooled but they pretended like they were fooled by the smiles and looked at one another, worriedly.

"I had all these weird flashes, like the dream was a memory that I couldn't remember. " Rhiara stared curiously. "Weird. Maybe your just kind of re-dreaming what happened when we were out of it during the darkness invasion. That's all."

"Are you sure?" Sareila asked uncertain, soaking her head beneath the calming water. "I've been getting these weird feelings lately. I felt something when I woke just a little while ago."

Rhiara thought for a moment, trying to find a connection between the two of them. She frowned when she realized it and she looked at her sister worriedly, reaching out to take her hand. Sareila took Rhiara's hand, to comfort her sister and to comfort herself. The two stared at one another for a short while.

"I've been having some feelings too, maybe it's just in our heads, we have been through a lot in the past year and a half. Also this new training we're going through isn't making it any easier on us." Rhiara said.

"Rhiara... what did happen to us?" Sareila asked.

Sareila just stared off in the distance with a frown creasing her lips. Her eyes were focusing on nothing in particular but she was worrying Rhiara. Rhiara looked her sister confused, not understanding what her sister meant. Nothing had happened so what was there to get so upset over?

"What do you mean? We fainted. What else is there? Our parents told us the darkness almost subdued the world but it was driven back before it got a chance. It was just something we missed." Rhiara said.

"But what about the dreams?"

Rhiara ran the water over her face, rinsing off some pre-applied luxurious hair products. She had wondered about her sister's questions as well. Every time she asked her parents the question they changed the topic and made her forget about it until they walked away from her. They wouldn't talk about it.

"It just seemed like a long dream because we were so deeply unconscious." She stated logically.

"But it felt so real." Sareila insisted worried, applying lavender scented conditioner to her own hair, the kind that was supposed to help her sleep. "You can't say it didn't feel real. I _know_ you Rhiara. You were so shaken up over it after that I knew the experience had to be deeper. We had almost the exact same dram. That can't be a coincidence. Those boys..."

Sareila ran a hand softly over her cheek in thought. A hot blush crossed both sisters' cheeks as they thought about the boys in their dreams. Rhiara turned away.

"We're twins," she forced. "It's not unlikely that we would be on the same dream frequency."

Sareila leaned in closer to her in a hushed whisper, as if trying to make sure no one could here them, even though they were all alone.

"We fainted... but _why_ Rhiara? How could we? If the cause was darkness related we should have been able to resist. It's happened before. Have you ever noticed that nothing dark ever seems to overcome you, like you control it? Of how it never seems to affect me, like I'm immune? Why would we have been out if that was the case. And our dreams. The named Sora, and the one in yours named Riku...It must be rea-"

"But I don't want it to be!" Rhiara cut off shakily.

Sareila looked at her twin softer. Rhiara stood out of the water and dried herself off before leaning towards Sareila, though her face looking off into some deep thoughts.

"You don't know what that dream was like for me Sari… All the feelings I faced… Everything I witnessed. _If_ that dream was real... then I think I lost some one close to me, even though they never knew the faintest idea of how I existed." Rhiara said hurt. "I can't come to that realization. I won't! I _am _going to keep thinking of reasonable explanations until the truth explodes into my face."

She finally faced her twin again and put a reasoning hand on her shoulder. Both girls were near tears as they looked at one another. Both of them wanted to separate things but only one of them would get their wish. Rhiara swallowed hard as she looked at Sareila. The other girl merely shook her head, letting go.

"In fact... let's try to forget it. Maybe it's better that way, Sari... I think you're thinking too much. Get some sleep. I'll keep my senses on watch, but still, let's just keep this thing in our heads. Kay?" Rhiara said.

Sareila sighed and nodded reluctantly. Rhiara gave her a quick side hug and then turned to make her way back to her room.

"Night sis!" Rhiara called.

"Night." Sareila mumbled quietly.

She remained in the water a while longer and then getting up a little after Rhiara had left. She returned to her own room and sat by the intricately carved ivory vanity with gold accents. She started brushing out her long damp hair in the wide, gold framed mirror; examining her features in the peace of the dark.

How could Rhiara just want to forget about it? That just seemed to be her defense mechanism. Rhiara tended to shut out things that were unpleasant to her. She was a sweet person, but that was just one of her natures. Sareila on the other hand wanted to know things, explain them. Explain the hurt in the lives of others or in her life and try to cure it. Sareila ran a hand over her face.

She and Rhiara were really different. They shared the twin sister bond, but they were like day and night. Like sun and moon. Like dark and light. The pale moonlight shown through the, ceiling length, mosaic window on her pale skin. If there was something to her and her sister's light and dark difference, Sareila would be the light.

Her outward appearance was soft and angelic. She had moon pale skin on a pretty heart shaped face. Her features were soft, round cheeks and large soft round eyes that seemed to bore into your soul. Her deep lavender irises were trying to find the source of pain in an individual and fix it. Her lips were full, small and pouted the rosiest kind of pink. Her small cute nose wrinkled in frustration as she criticized her figure while combing her hair. It contrasted from her sister.

It was more medium sized, with a larger chest and hips, making her even softer still. Her dark hair became semi dry and she tousled it, the long thick, dark chocolate waves and curls cascading to almost her hip line and forming a dark curtain around her face, nicely contrasting her ivory skin. Yes, she was light.

And Rhiaralai was the dark.

Satisfied Sareila got up from the vanity and set her brush among the feminine set of jewelry boxes, perfume vials, make up containers and figurines. Going over to the enormous white and gold wardrobe she changed comfortably into a night gown the hard way, not feeling up to a magic spell at the moment. Across the plush Dark purple floor she made her way to the ivory canopy bed and pulled back the heavy layers of gold sheer silk, curtaining the bed.

She lay happily upon the satin lavender comforters and hugged a gold pillow securely to her chest. Everything in her room reflected of ivory, gold, or various vibrant shades of purple (the more lighter or violet shades). She reached for a stuffed cat and turned to face the window, gazing at the moon through the golden chiffon above her. For some reason she was still very uneasy. These dreams had been continuing for awhile, some just of the same boy, some recalling from her more memorably long dream.

She closed her eyes and finally decided to give in to sleep. She hoped she would have a more pleasant dream this time, but still containing the boy, her dream boy - the one with the sky blue eyes.

She wondered if her dream boy was really somewhere, and if he was. She hoped he had been aware of how much she had tried aiding him in that trip to the other worlds, in the door to the darkness. But then again, how would he? She was only a sense to him, and to her he was just a faint image in her subconscious. Or was any of anything she thought actually real? How could it be?

-

The night didn't disturb Rhiara. She was used to it. Her sister enjoyed it because of a strange fascination with moonlight. Rhiara was different. In the dark it gave her a strange sense of power, like any point she moved within it was hers to control. But that was just how it had always been. She and Sareila _were_ sensitive like that, but the mystery of how still plagued the both of them, especially Sareila.

Rhiara couldn't understand why Sareila couldn't just let things go. She had turned especially curious ever since a year and a half ago after they had been exposed to those strange dreams. They had seemed to last forever. Rhiara closed her eyes, though the setting didn't change. As much as she had tried to forget the dream it still played periodically in her mind.

There was a boy wandering lost in the darkness. She was the only thing that had kept it from surrounding him. And yet he was unaware, as Rhiara only seemed to be an invisible presence witnessing the events in the dream. He was searching for something, more like some one… _her_ - the girl with ocean blue eyes who he was so close to. He tried all sorts of means to be able to return something to her. She was there with him…but she wasn't all there.

Something had been missing in her, a certain essence. And this boy went to the greatest lengths to return it to her. Even bond ties to a merciless **witch** whose neon green eyes still made Rhiara's blood run cold at the thought. This would presumably have been the nightmare part of the dream, but that hadn't been the worst part. The worst had come at the end, at the separation and disconnection part of the dream.

Not just when he had given into the darkness, but when… _'No!'_ Her mind scream loudly. She had to forget it. She tried shaking the thoughts out of her mind. That's what she had told Sareila to do, and yet here she was running through the dream like a bad flashback. She was trying so hard. She didn't want to think of that dream anymore. It was just too painful.

Everything had changed since they had woken up. First they had been informed that they had passed out for a while, while their world faced a battle with the darkness. This still confused her. She wondered how an embodiment of darkness could be large enough to destroy an entire world. And after awaking she and her sister suddenly found themselves with two new guardians. Sixteen year old girls who were supposed strongly gifted. One of the girls gifted in the arts of black magic, summoning, and sorcery and the other gifted in that of the arts of hand combat and multiple types of mêlée.

Her parents had told her that they were chosen for a reason, but more detail of this was, of course, withheld from them. It had been about two years and over the course she and Sareila had been in strict training, each strengthening a certain part of themselves. Sareila had taken more to the magic side, and Rhiara to the fighting, but they were both well rounded as different elements were concerned.

Yet Rhiara wondered for what reason. Why was this all suddenly so necessary? She couldn't deny her sisters speculation of a certain strange sense about the night. She and Sareila never varied on that, but it didn't affect Rhiara as much. Was that because the presence was a dark one? Rhiara felt there was something to her sister's theory on how they each were light and dark sensitive. It could only be explained by the way they looked.

Rhiara studied herself in a floor length silver framed mirror. There were many silver, as well as black and purple (darker shades or those closer to red) accents and pieces in the exotic room. The patterns either included sharp geometric shapes or intricate twisting sensations. It was less feminine, more mysterious. You couldn't see things clearly in there and purely like in the light, you had to search harder and sometimes your perspective gave twisted confused thoughts. Like the dark. And this was just as Rhiara was. You could see it in her face.

Her skin was dark, an ebony with a mahogany finish. A heart shaped face,straight nose, full dynamically curved lips; a natural dark red. Her most definite feature was her sharply slanted almond shaped eyes. Her dark piercing amethyst color seemed to come out of the deepest regions of a blackened flame. Long auburn waves in which she was constantly pushing back and running her fingers through, sometimes the unruly thickness being hard to contain. Her features were defined and intriguing. She _was _the dark. That was the only explanation.

She flung herself into the burgundy and silver sheets of her black wrought iron queen sized bed. She was too tired to even change into something more comfortable to sleep in, just laying dreamily in the fluffy black towel and her bathing suit, the wet mass of reddish brown waves spread out on the silver pillows. For some reason certain thoughts came through her mind, the thoughts of bright skies and a possible new adventure. Was something really coming?

A strange sense swept over her once more. She suddenly reached out to touch something. Like a star in the sky that wasn't visible through her window. This strange possession lasted for a minute, but then her arm dropped and she felt herself sinking deeper into to sleep. She was determined for the re-occurring dreams to stay out of her head. No more dreams of darkness, or keys, or strange evil beings.

Not even of a heavenly set of turquoise eyes of witch she longed to be real and secure and unchanged. But how could it be? It was just a dream after all, a long dark, endless dream.

-

Riku laid out on the grass in his front yard. He had tried sleeping. For some reason he found it difficult. Like a strange sense troubled him, even though he had no idea what it was about. Perhaps it was just the anticipation of this new journey the king called them for. Donald and Goofy would arrive any time now, and when they did he knew that he, Kairi, and Sora would be ready. New worlds were awaiting them all, and new experiences and acquaintances. He didn't know if this was going to be a bad or a good thing. He just guessed he would play it by ear.

The star's glittered brightly. He knew all too well that each was a different world, connected and tied by the doors of fate and light and darkness. These are where his adventures were to lie. He felt as if he could reach up and grab them, they seemed closer than ever before.

He reached up to try. A particular star giving off an almost mauve glow. His arm extended to touch it, for some reason feeling in sync with it. As he did it glittered brightly and rapidly like a flickering flame. And then, all at once, it suddenly dimmed and vanished.


	3. The Seperation and fall of Mauvera

**Chapter 3-Seperations Submerged in Darkness**

_(Please Read, Review, Message me...OH! And be sure to enjoy^^)_

Sareila shot awake for the second time.

A surge of darkness rushed through her veins.

She could feel impending doom.

She had to get out of there NOW!

It was coming…

Whatever it was was coming now, and she had to get away. She jumped out of the bed and tried another wardrobe spell change. It was successful and she was now in a dark, winy purple colored dress. It was form fitting and a halter, reaching about just below the knee. There were several multicolored camisole appearing lace layerings underneath the neck line. In black, white, violet, pink, and then lavender. Around the bust line was a wide ribbon that tied in a large bow in the back. Up the sides of the leg of the dress was the same kind of crème white ribbon, which was corset laced binding the dress together at the sides ending at bows on the bottom. Sareila was sure she was wearing black shorts underneath, so if needed she could unlace the sides of the dress and move about easier. Her shoes were lavender ballet flats with a small arched supporting wedge. The straps were the same ribbon again, wrapping around her ankles and securely up her calves tied in tight bows.

Sareila then conjured the second spell, a bottomless bag spell. Apparently it was very popular among certain kinds of migrating wizards. She magically conjured the most precious and important of belongings in the room into the bag; along with her entire wardrobe, books of songs and various musings, and sentimental artifacts left to her by a deceased grandmother. The only thing left on the vanity was a pair of gold moon shaped earrings and barrette that belonged alongside her locket. The gold heart shaped choker she had worn ever since she could remember, secured on her neck by a ivory colored silk ribbon. She ran a hand over the small violet jewel in the center. This necklace was special. It seemed to be her good luck charm, as it was also left to her by the grandmother, hearing that it had a story behind it that no one could remember. She felt as if she needed all the luck in the world right now.

She heaved a final panicked sigh, putting on the earrings and barrette, and ran out of the room for the last time to go and alert her sister. Rhiara was just right down the hall from her and Sareila burst into the door to her sister's room. Rhiara seemed to be in a deep trance like sleep.

"Rhiara!" Sareila called desperately, her hair streamed out and wrestlessly curled and clung to her face from alarm driven tears. She grabbed her sister and began to shake her awake. Rhiara tossed and turned violently until she drowsily sat up from the awakening. "Rhiara we have to get out of here now!!! Its coming Rhiara! It's coming! We have to hurry!" Sareila cried frantically, now panicked tears beginning to form on her face.

"Sareila! Whats wrong?!" Rhiara said in a confused slightly disoriented state.

"Its coming! Oh Rhia don't you feel it!" Sareila begged her sister.

Rhiara's suddenly turned cold and she could now strongly sense the dark presence. She jumped out of the bed and tried to get a reasonable form of words from Sareila.

"Just calm down Sari! Tell me exactly what it is you sense."

"I don't know Rhia!" Sareila continued to cry. "I don't know what it is, or what it wants , or what its doing here but I just feel we're in great danger! We just have to get out of here now!"

Rhiara nodded. "Go find Felicity and Malia." Sareila ran out of the room on command and Rhiara began acting upon the same routine as Sareila had. First conjuring her belongings in the endless bag, then giving herself a new outfit as well.

Her's was a burgundy sleeveless corset top with black ribbon on the lacing. She had tight black jean shorts and around her waste was burgundy sash that flowed down to the length of her legs. Her neck and wrists heavily accented by multiple necklaces and bangles in various sizes in the colors of silver and black. This didn't exclude her heart shaped amethyst jewel pendant reaching down on a silver chain. She had had it forever, some kind of antique left to her by a deceased grandmother with mysterious stories attached to it. Silver heart shaped earrings were caught in her freely streaming waves. She wore Black and reddish purple high tops on purpose, she never got that leisure in front of her parents, it being away from a certain princess wardrobe norm.

She slung the bag over her shoulder and ran out of the room to go find her sister. She had to hurry. They couldn't be separated long in a state like this or something horrible was bound to happen.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Malia sat straight up from her deep sleep. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong and it had to do with the princesses. She got up and conjuring her own outfit, grabbed Felicity out of the bed on the adjacent side of the wall of the room they shared.

"Whats the big idea!" Felicity complained drowsily.

"Felicity get up! The girls are in trouble!" Malia ordered.

At the mere mention of harm to Sareila and Rhiaralai, Felicity shot up and secured the six different weapons to there proper places.

"Lets go!" she shouted determined.

Malia rolled her eyes. "You cant exactly defeat an evil force in your PJ's."

Felicity smiled sheepishly and Maila rolled her eyes again, conjuring Felictie's basic attire magically for her.

"Now lets go!" Malia called running to the door, calling her mage's staff and running like fury. "If I know anything of this presence before, we have to go now! The girls are in major trouble!"

____________________________________________________________________________________

Sareila stumbled down the hall trying to reach her guardian's room. All of the sudden a mist of darkness begin to form at her heels and envelop the chambers of the castle. Every corridor she turned it snaked from shadows and around corners. She was almost there. She had to get her sister and the other two.

Just then a dark mass formed behind her. Her head throbbed. Creatures like shadows started to seem to emerge from the shadows themselves. Sareila kept trying to run, but tripped in a panic. The creatures began coming at her. She tried to emit spells in defense such as water, ice and wind; yet she executed them poorly and only covered a few feet of safety. The black silhouette now formed a shape and slowly began approaching her. Rhiara had just turned the corner in order to view the mass closing in on her sister.

"Sareila!" She cried and ran to her twin. Sareila screamed in fright and tried hastily to get back to her feet to join her sister but the mass now had a hold on her. She could feel a dark sinking feeling and tried resisting the darkness but it pulled her in more.

"Sareila!!!" Rhiara called again in panic and reached for Sareila's hand. The silhouette now had an even darker amount of energy encircling the two of them, seeming to pull them into some kind of portal. Rhiara in an instinct tried disconnecting her self from the source of darkness and manipulated the flow around her in different directions.

Malia and Felicity had heard the girls screams while fighting off the strange creatures and now ran to the allotted area where the struggle was taking place. Rhiara was reaching more now for Sareila, each of them frantically calling out for aid from the other. Just as she thought she had locked a grip on her twin, the energy encircled them deeper and the silhouette got a final strong hold onto the light sister.

"Rhiara!" Sareila screamed in a last desperate plea, but the bond of the darkness had been broken by Rhiara's sudden tearing force. It divided into two separate portals and engulfed the silhouette and Sareila in the first one, drowning and taking her away in the darkness.

"NO!!!" Rhiara cried in frustration as the second portal split up her and her twin in the darkness as well as devouring Malia and Felicity with it.

The portals disappeared and Mauvera continued to be overcome by the wave of pure dark and evil energy that followed by the claiming of the two princesses. It eventually lost the source of light and dimmed out, not visible by the shadows that swallowed it.


	4. Old Friends and Old Worlds

**Chapter 4-Renunions with Old Friends and Old Worlds**

Sora woke up sleepily. He heard a familiar sound in his bedroom and tried opening his eyes some more. It was completely dark so the most he could make out in his room wasn't much. All of the sudden, by his bedroom door he spotted two darkly shadowed figures. They were stealthing and whispering, obviously trying to sneak up on him. "Heartless," he whispered to himself. He quickly summoned the Keyblade and jumped out of bed.

"GOTCHA!" Sora called loudly as he rapidly turned on a light and raised the Keyblade high above his head in mid swing to attack the oncoming heartless.

"WAIT!" the heartless suddenly yelled trying to shield them-selves from the approaching blow. "Sora STOP!!!"

Sora stopped right at the last second as he processed the figures in front of him with the mention of his name. The Keyblade loomed just above their heads.

"Donald? Goofy?" Sora questioned.

"Boy that sure was a close one." Goofy said heaving a relieved sigh.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora repeated, this time ecstatically. He dropped the Keyblade and immediately went to bear hug his friends.

Donald's eyes were still spinning from the close call, the lack of oxygen from Sora's embrace not helping. "Geez, Sora. Don't you think you should ask questions first and swing later?"

Sora just laughed happily. He was glad to see the two of them again. This means the King's letter was a sure fire thing. Even if it meant he'd have to start traveling around again, he was going to be fulfilling his destiny with their trio back together again.

"I'm sooo glad to see you guys!" Sora proclaimed continuing to squeeze the life out of them.

"Us too Sora, but could you let us go please!" Donald said gasping for air.

Sora dropped them and the three continued the happy greeting.

"Man this is the best!" Sora cheered. "The three of us back together again saving the universe from the force of darkness! The almighty trio! Well…I guess since Kairi and Riku are going to join us it wouldn't really be a trio anymore since that makes two additional sides. I guess it'd be more of a pentagon…that's even cooler! All hail the almighty pentagon!"

Goofy and Donald just looked at each other.

"Well Sora, "Donald said shaking his head amused, "It's safe to say you haven't changed much."

Sora just grinned.

"Hey fellas, I think we can continue meetin back up once we find Kairi and Riku and get on the ship. Remember the King said it was important we hurry to Hollow Bastion?" Goofy just put in with an easy grin.

Sora became serious and nodded. "Alright guys, I just need a minute to grab my stuff and get dressed. Riku's house is just next to mine though. Find him then we'll go get Kairi."

Donald and Goofy agreed and before Donald magically transported them outside Sora's house he looked at Sora smiling and said, "Nice to see you again Sora."

Sora grinned wider," Same her pal."

The two of them disappeared and Sora quickly changed and grabbed the bag he had put together the night before. He was in his outfit he wore the last time because of its magical properties, which miraculously seemed to fit him well even after his recent second growth spurt. He summoned the Keyblade in his hand and beamed happily into the glittering blade. He was ready.

He jumped out his window and saw that he had caught Riku laying out in his front yard before Donald and Goofy did. Riku was on his back, looking curiously into the sky.

"Hey Riku!" Sora called out. "Guess who's here! Hey…what are you looking at?"

Riku merely pointed upward still focusing gazing at the sky. "That star."

Sora looked up. "Which one?"

"It's not there anymore. It disappeared." Riku explained intently.

Sora's eyes widened. "You mean…"

Riku nodded. "A world just went out."

"Then we really **do** have to hurry." Sora concurred. "Goofy and Donald are here. There looking for you then we're going to go get Kairi."

Riku nodded, already dressed by predetermination and grabbed a backpack that was by his side, getting up off his back and brushing the grass off his shirt.

Donald and Goofy suddenly appeared and Riku waved silently with a slight smile. They looked just as happy as when they had reunited with Sora and ran over to the two of them.

"Hey Riku! How's it goin?" Goofy said during his carefree clumsy run.

"Pretty good Goofy." Riku smiled. "We better get Kairi. There's another reason to hurry right now."

"What happened?" Donald asked.

"Riku was watching the sky, and he just saw a star dark out." Sora said for Riku.

Donald's eyes widened and he turned into his directive nature. "Then we cant waist time! You guys need to find Kairi now and we have to get going."

"Looking for me?" a giggly voice called out.

The four of them turned to see an approaching Kairi running down the darkened sidewalk.

She was in her usual pink dress and seemed freshly showered and widely awake. Her ocean blue eyes sparkled in excitement and her straight red hair flew behind as she ran to get closer to them faster. A large pink duffel bag was slung over her right shoulder.

"Well, that was easy." Sora chimed. "Now the gang's all here."

The group nodded and Donald directed them to the location of the gummi ship, all the while repeating the same series of greetings with Kairi as they had with Riku and Sora, not faltering in enthusiasm of course. As they approached the gummi ship Sora noticed something different about Kairi. A new piece of jewelry dangled at the end of her wrist.

"Hey Kairi what's that?" Sora said pointing out the charm.

"Oh this?" Kairi asked lifting her wrist. "It's my Thassalla shell charm. I decided to wear it as a bracelet." She grinned. "Being it's my lucky charm I thought we could use all the luck we could get. "

Sora grinned back in agreement, remembering just how important that charm had really been in the past. Maybe it really might help them in this new journey. They all got on the gummi ship and Riku and Kairi settled in the back while Sora headed straight for the captains' chair like it was second nature.

"Hold on there Sora!" Donald said halting him.

"What?" Sora asked confused. "Come on Donald, move so I can fly this thing and we can get going."

"Uh-Uh Sora," Donald vetoed. "You haven't piloted the ship in while now. I'm going to put it on auto pilot for this first journey. We don't have time to waste."

"I'm not gonna waste time!" Sora pleaded. "Come on Donald let me drive!"

"Sora I said no." Donald said his best trying to keep Sora from the cockpit.

Kairi, Riku and Goofy just watched the struggle with smirks on their faces.

"Come on Sora, just sit back here. I think we have some talking to do anyway." Kairi tried coaxing.

Sora sighed and relinquished the fight to join the others in the passenger seats. He moped until he sat next to Kairi, then he became strangely okay. Donald set the autopilot and the ship began to take off.

"See ya later Destiny Islands," Goofy waved to the now small appearing cluster of islands cheerily.

"Yeah…see ya later." Sora whispered as he gazed out the window. He knew Riku and Kairi were thinking the same thing. They had just returned to their island home, and now they were saying goodbye to it once more. It seemed too soon. They all looked at each other for some kind of comfort. Then Kairi smiled at the two of them and Sora remembered what she had told him on the beach. As long as they were together it didn't matter where they ventured. They all shared the same destiny so they might as well share it together. Sora smiled back, and Riku smirked, not immediately picking up on the reason of this silent reassurance, but developing his own answers and realization in his own mind concerning the bonds of his two close friends. The journey seemed to take a while in the beginning, it being quite calm without the usual number of Heartless ships trying to stop them. The time was passed by Riku and Kairi intensely intrigued out the window as they had never traveled to other worlds in this kind of manner, or by the five individuals sharing what each other had been up to in the time they had been separated. At some point Sora and Kairi seemed to get drowsy and nodded off on each other's shoulders. Riku was too focused to become tired. A strange sense made him keep vigilant out the window as if he were trying to keep watch for seeming. All of the sudden a far away world caught his eye, one that looked like it was being reformed. Riku went over to Sora and nudged him awake.

"Hey Sora," Riku urged.

"Huh…" Sora mumbled.

"Look at that world. Does it seem familiar to you?" Riku asked.

Sora slowly turned his head to Riku's insinuating direction. He squinted at the passing world and realized that it did look vaguely familiar. "Hey Donald," Sora called now a little more awake. "Is it possible to go closer to that world over there? I think we've been there before."

"Sora we can't stop for anything. King's orders." Donald forbids not even looking at what the others were.

"But Donald," Goofy said now looking out the window too. "I think …that's…Traverse Town!"

"What!" Donald spat out in disbelief as he now turned around to see it for himself. "But that's impossible!"

"Wasn't it lost in the darkness after the first fall of Kingdom Hearts?" Sora questioned confused. "It had only acted as a surrogate world for those whose own worlds were destroyed and they ended up there, lost from wandering the darkness."

"Remember what I saw Sora?" Riku reminded him. "If that's the case then a world must have just fallen."

Donald and Goofy stared at each other in disbelief.

"Then I think we better go check it out." Sora seemed to say gaining some determined control back.

Donald did argue and set the ship off autopilot, maneuvering to the newly reformed Traverse Town. IT was all put together, some parts were being re-sharpened and other still clouded in darkness. All of this just because of a newly fallen world waiting for it take host. Kairi stirred a little and opened her eyes, still lying on Sora's shoulder.

"What's going on?" she asked calmly.

"We're taking a slight detour." Riku informed her. "Traverse Town reformed."

"Its back?" Kairi seemed perplexed. "Why would it be back?"

"Because there are residents of a fallen world that have just been released from the darkness." Riku explained.

"Oh!" Kairi gasped in half shock and half dismay. Being a princess of heart, Kairi was sympathetic and empathetic to the plight of worlds befallen by darkness.

They approached the world and found a familiar sight to land. As they all began disboarding the ship, Sora suddenly stopped Kairi at the door.

"Hold on Kairi…" Sora said. "I think you should stay in the ship. I'm not sure but I have a feeling this might get too dangerous."

"But Sora-"Kairi protested.

"I think it's a good idea too." Riku agreed. "If there's heartless around, you haven't had as much experience as us. We just want to check things out."

Kairi merely sighed and nodded, re-entering the ship.

The rest of the four turned and found that the place seemed completely abandoned. The town area was in some what disarray but still maintained the basic set up as the last time residents had been about.

"This is sooo creepy." Sora commented, running a hand over the broken down door that had once been the Accessory Shop. "It's like a ghost town."

Riku nodded taking in the scenery while leaning against a bent up light pole.

All of the sudden they heard screams in the distance.  
"What was that?!" Donald questioned alert.

"I think we better find out!" Riku called, summoning his sword into his hand.

Sora agreed silently as he called upon the Keyblade and getting into a determined battle stance.

This is where the new journey was about to begin.

The four of them ran off into the directions of the screams.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The portal spat out Rhiara before she had a chance to think. He mind was mixed and thickened with different sensations she couldn't control. Trying to open her eyes she saw she was in an alley of some kind, in an abandoned town. Just as she had gotten any kind of wit about her, dark shadow masses began to form around her. They turned into creatures with twitching antennas and evil yellow eyes. She couldn't recall where she had seen them before. Suddenly they all started attacking at her. She ran frantically from the odd shadows until she was bombarded by several more in an open area that contained a beautiful fountain. She tripped and fell in front of it, struggling by being surrounded.

Helplessly reacting, she cowered against the fountain and put her hands in front of her face to shield herself from their attacks. All of the sudden she felt something materialize into her left hand. She opened her eyes, gazing at the strangest weapon she had ever seen. It was a blade, shaped like a giant key, if that's what you could call the schema of the design. She lifted it up to a vague source of light and tried to identify it.

"What is this thing?" she murmured.

She spent the moment wondering so much about what it was that she forgot to use it. The creature's attacks came flying at her and knocked the blade out of her hand and across the floor. She screamed again, trying to scramble for the key, but one of the shadows took a swipe at her back and another across her face. The force and over all sense of the creatures was too much and a striking blow to the back of her head knocked her unconscious.

____________________________________________________________________________________-

Riku ran down the twisted allies to try and find the source of the scream. He, Sora, Goofy and Donald decided to split up because they noticed several different ones coming from different places in Traverse Town's back Allies. Sora, Donald and Goofy were headed for the multiple ones coming from the section where the Third District was. He was headed for the solitary cry that lingered in the Second District. He approached the main area of the district and immediately began scanning the area for heartless, his blade raised high and ready. He detected a few Shadows and followed the trail to a swarm that was gathered by the fountain. He went to go destroy them until two things caught his eyes.

First, a black iron Keyblade cast in the middle of the floor of the area.

Second, the girl whom the heartless were swarming.

He reacted immediately to the girl first and slashed through the Shadow heartless to see her initial damage. There was something strange about the heartless. It was like their dark attempts to seize her hearts were strained. Like they didn't affect her. Like they were being controlled some how. He had cleared the heartless and he now saw the girl was unconscious, probably from an overwhelming of the attack. He quickly went to pick up the Keyblade, but the minute he touched it, it disappeared in his hand and reappeared near the hand of the unconscious girl. Riku stared perplexed and approached her again.

"Why does she have a Keyblade?" he thought to himself. He resolved to just carry and bring her back to the ship. Maybe the others could shed some light on it.

As he knelt beside her and went to touch her ,a wave of intense familiarity swept over him.

He went and picked her up bridal style with the odd Keyblade lying in her lap. Making his way back to the ship, he still experienced the faint sense of a recognizable presence about her. He dismissed it and focused on trying not to drop her.


	5. Maleficent's New Help and New Domain

**Chapter 5-Maleficent's New Domain**

The door's of the Main Chamber of the Darkened Castle swung open by the dark force.

Multiple heartless stirred restlessly in the darkest regions. Evil loomed even greater, as if being strengthened by a certain presence. Pete could already here the menacing voice calling him an imbecile and the sting of a strong Firaga spell punishing him for being such. This only meant one thing.

The mistress of the castle was home.

Maleficent walked gracefully down the hall, each step seeming to proclaim her malice with each echo on the stone floor. It had taken a bit of work, but with the time she had to let her dark power rejuvenate itself, she had finally created a new dominion for herself. An evil palace in which she was devising the next plan in her attempt at dark control over all the worlds. It had all the aspects of a perfectly threatening layer, even the immense garden of black magic thorns encircling the outside grounds. This was her own personal touch.

This new attempt was a strong possibility. She smirked quietly as she thought of "the new kind of help" she had acquired. She felt this may play out differently in contrast to last time. Her past cohorts only had their own interests in mind. Now…these new individuals…it was safe to say that Maleficent had a certain life or death pull in which she gained an influence over her associatives' motives. What luck when she had happened upon them in the dark realm that she and Pete had escaped to after the defeat of Organization 13. These beings had been wandering the darkness themselves, not sure of their purpose. At first glance they would appear to be a group of Nobodies, but closer examination by Maleficent reveled to her something truly remarkable and different about them.

Maleficent re-entered the long stone chamber that served as a throne room and seated herself upon the large and immaculately carven Black Marble Throne. She remained with pristine patience as she awaited the arrival of her errand that she had sent for to be completed and brought to her. Pete stumbled in nervously as if awaiting her command for something.

"Um, salutations yer most evil and magnifecentness ." he proclaimed nervously. "Was yer trip to yer liking?"

Maleficent merely nodded. "Somewhat, yes. My last inspection of the World that Never Was indicates that Organization 13 indeed was disposed of by the key bearers." A smile grazed her face. "Now that they have served that purpose to us, I believe the young Keybearers may find it quite unfavorable that they need to serve an additional one. With Organization 13 no longer a hindrance we can proceed more effectively than ever."

Pete laughed in relief to see her in a favorable mood. "And with this new alliance o' ours were a shoo-in to create the most powerful army o' heartless ever!"

"Not just heartless my bumbling assistant. We can create so much more than that now." Maleficent cut in smoothly.

Pete looked away in a bit of confusement. He wasn't sure what else besides heartless they could control. In fact, he didn't really even know what exact power the new individuals Maleficent had found possessed. All he knew was that they were extremely powerful, not what they were. And about the new plan, well, Maleficent had kept him in the dark about that too. Lately he had tried just doing what she instructed well and never asking questions. He had already failed her once, and she seemed extremely sore about that still, so he was trying hard not to do that again. Yet, he at least wanted to know what the plan was.

He spoke up a bit perplexed. "Um, speaking o' that…what exactly **did** you send them to fetch fer our plan?"

He awaited a thunder strike for his question and flinched, covering his head and rear end from pain.

Instead Maleficent merely did not respond directly to him, but to the empty space of darkness in front of her throne.

"You are soon about to find out." She replied with an evil smile wide spread on her face as she saw the arrival of the presence she had been waiting for.

Just then a portal of dark energy appeared in the dark space in which Maleficent had predetermined. Out of the portal stepped a dark silhouette. The silhouette cast onto the floor the figure it had been carrying.

A young moon pale girl in a violet colored dress.

"Very nice completion," Maleficent said in approval to the silhouette. "Wait, is she the only one you have brought?" Maleficent asked suddenly, furrowing a highly arched brow in dissatisfaction.

"I wasn't able to grab both of them," the silhouette explained simply. Although the features were not visible, the voice protruding from it had a smoky but feminine timbre'. "The other one split the portal of darkness at the last minute. It swallowed her and two others, casting them off somewhere entirely different."

Maleficent merely looked in thought. "I see, well, although not my original intention I believe that our present circumstances are not a completely fallen one." She smiled coldly upon the victim on the floor. "Quite the opposite."

Pete approached the girl cautiously, seeing that she was unconscious and nudging her with his massive foot.

"So what is she? A Keyblader or somethin?" he asked curiously.

Maleficent shook her head. "Not simply a key bearer. It's a bit more complex than that."

"Well she's got one of the strongest aura's o' light I've ever seen." Pete commented, trying to nudge her dark hair around to get a peak at her face. "Even the Keyblading brat might have some competition with this one."

The silhouette stepped forward into the conversation. "So how do you propose we move forward with out obtaining the other one?"

Maleficent stepped off her throne and approached the young girl who moaned and stirred slightly at her presence.

"Very simply." She answered. "The darkness can increase its power by not just drawing on its strengths, but by diminishing its strongest weaknesses."

The girl stirred again, trying to twist into a position away from Maleficent. Maleficent just laughed quietly and smirked malevolently, thoughts in her head brewing dangerously for the young girl.

"Yes," she finished, ending with a statement directed to the unconscious girl. "It seems that without anyone to secure you this time, you may not be able to pierce through the darkness so easily, young princess."

Maleficent then turned to Pete. "Take our guest to any quarter of the castle. She won't be awakening for a while so it won't matter where she's kept. And also…" She paused momentarily as if to gather her thoughts before speaking. She turned to the silhouette now. "Tell the others to report to me in approximately one hour. I think now is the time to gain the attention of a certain Keyblade Master. I know just the worlds to do it."

The silhouette nodded silently and then Maleficent turned off and headed to another part of the castle. Pete followed after her with the unconscious girl now slung over his shoulder to be relocated.

As they left the form of the silhouette began to change. The darkness that clouded its features began to disintegrate and a more feminine form began to take shape. The figure had on a pure white lace dress that was form fitted and was followed by a slight train. The sleeves were see-through white lace and were let out wide and draping in kimono sleeve fashion, following almost to the length of the figures actual dress. A satin bright red ribbon divided around the waist from the bust and the torso section. The wearers facial features were concealed for they also had on an equally long hooded, crushed velvet cloak of the same bright blood red. The only thing that was noticeable was several thick shoulder length dark red curls protruding from the figures cape. Their lips were blood red, held in an unemotional expression. A pair a of fiery amethyst eyes glittered from the darkness cast off from the hood.

"Yes princess…" the now visible figures voice trailed off to itself in the silence. "The light you possess is greater to us harnessed than run amuck." The blood red lips smirked. "After all…the stronger the light…the darker the shadow."

The figure then conjured herself another portal of darkness and went off in search of the other four to proceed to the meeting.


	6. So Who is She Anyway?

**_Chapter Six-So Who is She Anyway?_**

Riku carried the girl back to the ship, where he was met by Sora and the others. With them were two other girls, a little older than the one that he had. They weren't unconscious but seemed highly disoriented. One was holding her head and mumbling something; the other was trying to stand up, but was having a difficult time.

"Who are those two?" Riku asked.

"I don't know." Sora shrugged. "We found them being attacked by heartless. They were unusually strong heartless too. When we had gotten there I think the attacks had worn them out and they were being ambushed. We stepped in, in time to help them, and by that time they were almost completely out of it. Donald had to use a transportation spell to get us all back to the ship."

"Well, still be careful." Riku warned him still cradling the girl in his arms. "We still don't know who they are or what went on."

Sora nodded and then made a referencing glance to the girl that Riku had brought back. "Well who is she?"

"Same thing. I don't know. I think maybe they came from the same world though." Riku explained.

"What is she holding?" Sora asked, trying to look at the object the girl had clutched to her chest from different angles.

"You might be interested. " Riku smirked and moving away the girls hands so Sora could properly view the object. "Take a look at this."

Sora's eyes widened. "Holy crap!" he exclaimed. "She's got a Keyblade too!"

"Why so surprised?" Riku shrugged. "That shock should have left after you found out that I had one, Kairi had one, AND the King could wield one. There must be some qualifications out there in the universe that entitle other people in other worlds to have them besides just YOU ya know."

Sora deflated a little. "Yeah I guess…I just thought it was a special bond thing though ya know…I mean…you and me and Kairi have one because were all connected."

"Oh come on Sora," Riku scoffed. "Don't be so immature. It's not like the Keyblade is a "this makes me specialler than you" kind of thing. It's a very serious power that plays out complexly in the fates of the worlds."

Sora turned red and gave Riku a displeased face. "Oh, don't lecture me Riku." Sora some what pouted, "Don't you think I of all people know how serious the power of this responsibility is? But **don't** tell me it's not extremely strange. If everyone and their granny are out swinging a Keyblade around that doesn't make it important. A Keyblade Master doesn't just pop up for no reason."

Riku just shrugged again. Sora did have a point. If this girl did just suddenly appear and have a Keyblade, then something must be up. And to have such an interesting Keyblade at that…

"Um, you guys…" A voice called out to them breaking them away from their concentration.

It was Kairi standing in the door way of the ship.

"I don't know what going on, but Riku, if you're holding an unconscious girl I think it'd be wise to bring her in the ship and try to find out what wrong with her." Kairi pointed out kindly.

Riku had almost completely forgotten about the almost lifeless girl in his arms. He nodded to Kairi and headed to the ship with girl, followed shortly by Sora and Goofy who were congenially trying to prod the disoriented girls into the ship to collect themselves.

Kairi came up to them as the door to the ship finally closed and they decided to head off to Bastion Hollow faster than ever.

"So what did happen to her?" Kairi asked concerned.

Riku took the girl into the furthest most part of the Gummi ship and set her down gently before asking a following Kairi's question.

"I really don't know. She was being swarmed by heartless and passed out when I found her. I think maybe she had just showed up and was ambushed so she didn't have enough time to defend herself."

Kairi nodded, leaning next to the girl to check out her wounds. The girl had various bruises and scratches from a normal Shadow Heartless attack. But some of these were more profound, which meant that these were no ordinary Shadows. Some thing was strengthening them.

Kairi preformed a Cura spell in which she had perfected and then turned to Riku.

"Well, whoever she is, I'm worried about her. Even though she's unconscious I can still read her emotional aura. She seems really sad, and lost. Like just lost some one or something very important."

Riku merely gazed at the girl. Some unknown emotions shifting in his eyes.

It was strange and unknown, but for some reason, Riku felt the same way.

Not sad or lost, but worried.

About the girl.

Extremely worried over the well being of a strange mystery girl that he had never gotten the chance to meet…hadn't he?

**_yay^^ a note from me^^ :_**

**_sorry for the shortness chapter^^ im just trying to keep posting. PLEASE review for me or even send me a message at the simplest^^ I really am wanting to know what people think of this so far! If there are confusions please point them out and i will be more then happy to straighten them out on my own accord^^_**


	7. Sudden Connections

**Chapter Seven-Sudden Connection**

Riku just sat and watched her. He felt obligated to, as if the reason why she was hurt had something to do with him but he knew he didn't and that he was over thinking it. Heartless were the cause of her pain. But he remained by her side. He was in the back room with the unconscious girl alone. He hadn't moved since Kairi had left to go try to attend to the other two and help Sora in trying to get some answers from them.

Riku had his own answers to worry about. For some reason, after Kairi had mentioned about her concern for the girl, Riku had felt the same strange concern. And the familiarity this girl held didn't help either. Nor did the burning sensation in his hand to take hers and hold it fade, as much as he had wanted it to.

For the past half an hour he had been insatiably consumed with thoughts about her. She was as mysterious and as confusing as anything he had ever encountered. Normally he loved to take his time to figure things out, to sit down and really take it in. But right now he wanted – no, **needed** to know who she was.

Why she had the Keyblade? Was she good? Was she evil? Did she work for Maleficent? Was she a lackey of Organization XIII bent or revenge against him and Sora for killing her masters? Was she hurt? Was she sad? What were her joys and loves and hates and innermost secrets? What color were her eyes?

And where the hell did he feel he know her from?

The curiosity raged his mind and was killing him. He wanted to know everything but he couldn't. He also couldn't fight this urge to stay silently by her side. But with each question he asked himself about her they got more and more personal, something that only she could answer, if she woke to answer them at all. So still he watched her.

Her eyes were closed. He had wanted to see the color. She breathed softly. He wondered if she would ever wake up. He had hoped with every fiber of his being that he was not watching a comatose patient or someone who was dying as he sat there doing nothing. He almost felt tempted to have Kairi come back in to take a look at her once more but he didn't want to bother her or Sora, nor leave the girl's side. What if she woke and needed him while he was gone?

All just questions that ever persisted buzzed around in his head, giving him a rather uncomfortable headache as he watched her unmoving figure on the chair. He not only formed 1,000 questions about her, but also took in as much information as he could about her. Every detail exotic and delicate as her auburn waves caressed her sleeping face. The light shone off her dark skin.

"Why do I feel so close to her?" he asked himself for the hundredth time.

He looked at her Keyblade, tempted to smash it against his head for nearly driving himself insane by watching and waiting. Instead he opted for picking it up and examining it in further detail, hoping that the blade could give some insight to his mystery girl. It was certainly strange, but not the strangest weapon he had seen yet.

It had a cold black iron feel to it, and intensely resembled the Keyblade Oblivion except for several changing details. First, the top of they key was in the shape of a heart, but it was formed out of two intertwining serpent figures, slithering themselves all the way along the Keyblade. The grip of the handle also had a heart shaped amethyst jewel in the center that was almost black. The teeth of the key were in the shape of an oddly formed artistic sun.

The keychain dangling from it was the yin and yang symbol, the dark side seeming to almost glow. It shimmered in the light with an odd yet comforting spectrum of darker colors. There was a dark colored rainbow on his shirt from the small keychain. What could this strange key tell about the girl who wielded it? And why was she the only one who could?

Riku set the Keyblade down and had the sudden curious impulse to touch her. His hand went to finger the multiple shining bangles on her wrists. The minute his fingers grazed her palm she stirred and her eyes started to flutter half way open. He was taken by surprise. He felt her half conscious gaze meet him, and then she immediately collapsed forward from her set slumped position against the wall and into his arms.

She threw her arms around him in some kind of desperate locking embrace. For a brief moment, Riku tried to move her so she was lying down off of him, but she wouldn't move. She was intentionally holding herself against him, despite her unconscious supposed state. His heart clenched as he thought of what may have happened to her to have her react like that. Gently he brushed a lock of her hair out of her face.

Her hold on him triggered him with flashback sensations, the memory of a certain presence from so long ago. The one he had felt even lingering on the borderline of the darkness. The image before the door had closed… He could almost recall the worry that the presence had felt in that one moment and he had wanted to do something to tell it he would be okay.

None of it made sense to him and it was some how all blurred to him, just a gnawing familiar feeling of this girl's entire aura. She sighed, drawing him out of his thoughts. She was colder than he expected but when she snuggled closer to his chest, towards more warmth he didn't fight her like he had expected that he would have.

He locked his arms round her instinctively in a returning hold, his much more secure. She lifted her head slightly and looked at him again, and then fell limp, her sudden moment of liveliness diminishing. Riku didn't falter his. He was holding her even more tightly, extremely protectively. He was lost from any clear feelings he might have had, all obstructed from the immensely strong presence of her.

All of the sudden he heard the back room door of the Gummi ship open and he immediately let go of her, regaining his own composure and sense of reason. If Sora had seen him holding the girl he would jump to conclusions and with his mouth it would be hard not to try to beat his best friend for assuming the worst of what he'd see.

It was Sora and Kairi who entered. His friends were followed by the two other girls who they had found along with the past out one. Both girls were walking tall and proud. They held themselves professionally and walked with an air of confidence that assured him that they could indeed handle themselves when they weren't overwhelmed by Heartless.

They had gotten over disorientation from the abrupt Heartless encounter. One of them was a pale, long black haired girl with extremely cold ice blue eyes. She carried a staff and had a sorceress air about her. The other was a perky redhead with green eyes and about six different weapons strapped to her body.

"Hey, is she okay?" Kairi asked.

Riku nodded absent mindedly. He didn't seem to notice anything except for the girl resting against him but he forced himself to pay attention to the others and not the soft, now almost warm, and breathing form beside him. They didn't seem to notice his lapse in attention so he was safe, for now and he nearly sighed his relief.

"Yeah, she's still out of it though." He told her.

Sora turned to the girls, neither of them was looking at him but they knew very much that he was looking at them. Both of them were frowning as they watched the girl with a type of sisterly concern. They looked like they longed to take the girl from Riku and try to rattle her awake but that wouldn't help as much as it would harm her. They hovered close, just in case she would happen to wake soon.

"Now that you guys are a little more alert, who are you? And who is she? What exactly happened to you?" Sora asked.

"My name is Malia." The sorceress said.

"And I'm Felicity!" the red head chirped in.

The sorceress rolled her eyes at her friend's cheerful disposition but said nothing about it otherwise. She merely sighed and ran a hand through her air, as if trying to keep her cool with her friend at her side. But Riku knew it was an act. The mage would never hurt the other girl, he could tell that the bond between them as just like his and Sora's.

"I'm a mage, she a weapons mistress, and we are guardians to her." Malia said.

She pointed to the unconscious girl still slumped beside Riku. He looked at them skeptically. Both barely looked any than a day over eighteen. Both of them merely shrugged off his look of incredulousness and stared at the girl at his side, almost willing her to wake from her slumber. The girl did not move an inch under their intent stares.

"Well then, who is she?" Kairi asked.

The two paused for a moment, looking at one another in worry. They didn't want to divulge their secrets to just anyone but they felt obligated to the ones who saved them. The mage sighed and motioned for the weapons mistress to tell them with a wave of her hand. The red head grinned at them, as if expecting their reactions to be good. Sora shuffled slightly, waiting impatiently.

"She's Rhiara, and a princess." Felicity answered.

Riku stared at the girl, slightly amazed and slightly confused. The girl at his side couldn't be a princess, could she? It would explain the almost unreal grace she seemed to have, even in sleep and why she had such heavily armed bodyguards at her side. But why she had need for such guards he did not know. And it bothered him that someone like her would need to have a bodyguard in times such as now.

"Of where? And what happed to your world?" Riku interrogated.

The two looked at each other blankly. Felicity scratched her cheek as she thought, a confused look was written across her face. When she came up with nothing she looked to Malia. The other girl seemed just as lost and as confused as the weapons mistress. A distressed look crossed their faces as they realized something in horror. Felicity seemed to recover first. She put her arms behind her head and looked to the ceiling.

"Um…this is gonna sound crazy…" Felicity began. "But, we don't exactly remember. "

"Its like our memories faded with everything prior to these moments." Malia answered.

Sora stepped foreword reassuringly. He had a look of sympathy on his face as he looked at the two warriors. They stared at him, uncertain and wary, prepared to reach for their weapons and attack if he made the wrong move.

"Trust me. We've all been down that road. Is there anything you _do_remember?" He asked.

Malia turned away in thought. "We know who we are, and who each other are, and the basic reason for why we're all together, but that's it. We can't recall where we're from, how we got here, or anything. It's just a blur. All we know is that those creatures showed up and now here we are with you."

She finished and Sora nodded, trying to figure something out.

The redhead bent down worriedly by Rhiara.

"Do you think Rhia is gonna be okay Mali?" Felicity inquired to the mage. "She looks like she took a pretty bad beating from those dark things. "

"Those are called heartless." Sora enlightened.

Riku nodded, looking at her again. "Rhiara…" he murmured to himself, trying to place more meaning with her name.

Kairi stepped foreword finally. "We're all going to Hollow Bastion. The king is meeting us down there so I'm sure he can help the three of you shed light on your situation."

Sora agreed and smiled. "Yeah don't worry about it. We'll help you guys out."

The mage lowered her head gratefully. Riku just looked at Rhiara again. The other four then huddled to the front of the room by the door, discussing landing details. Riku's hand crept over to graze Rhiara's once more. Suddenly her fingers seemed to lace within his and stay there. He tested it, pulling away, but she grasped tighter.

Then she stirred again, more this time. Her head gave a slow turn and a small waking sigh escaped her lips, as if she was trying to regain consciousness. Everyone turned to her and was now crowded to see if she would wake up. Rhiara's eyes started to open slowly, and Malia made sure she was the first person Rhiara saw. No one seemed to notice she still gripped Riku's hand tightly.

"Where am I?" her voice moaned.

"Are you alright Rhiara!?" Malia asked concerned.

"I feel like I've been smacked in the head with a lead pipe, repeatedly. Are we away from those things?" Rhiara shrugged.

"Yeah! We're fine!" Felicity giggled. "This is Sora, he and his friends saved us."

Rhiara stared wide eyed at the blue eyed, Key-Wielding boy in from of her. She backed up slightly. She was blissfully unaware she was reclining against Riku. The silver haired boy said nothing as she pressed back against him, mainly out of fear of startling her. She didn't need to hurt herself more than she already was.

"Where's my sister?" she asked blankly.

Rhiara's eyes seemed to flashing with memories, seeing the ghosts of her past dancing past her eyes in a graceful movement. Felicity and Malia looked at her strangely. Then they turned to one another, as if trying to verify the existence of Rhiara's sister. Neither could do so and it confused them greatly for they did not know how their princess could know something that they could not remember.

"What sister?" Malia asked.

"My sister. Where is she?" Rhiara repeated.

"Rhia…what are you talking about… You don't have a sister!" Felicity stated confused.

Rhiara's eyes filled with panic and her mouth dropped, leaving a look of horror to be written across her face. She leaned towards them, fear gripping her heart and twisting it. She clenched her hands into tight fists, balling them up and hitting her knees. The mage and the weapons mistress looked at one another worriedly.

"No! What are _you_ talking about? I have a sister! Something's wrong! Where is she!?" Rhiara demanded.

Kairi knelt in front of her. She put a hand on Rhiara's shoulder, trying to comfort the other girl but she saw that comfort was far from her capabilities, at least until they knew where her sister was. The princess cringed back, away from Kairi, leaning heavily on Riku. He cringed, trying to resist the desire to wrap his arms around her.

"It's okay, what is your sister's name?" Kairi asked softly.

Rhiara paused and then her eyes grew wider. She clutched her head. Riku could see visible tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at the ground in mute horror. Malia shook her head at her princess. A part of her felt really bad but there was nothing they could do if they couldn't remember the other princess.

"I can't remember…" She nearly sobbed.

"Well if you can't even remember-"

"But she's real!" Rhiara shrieked desperately, interrupting the mage. "I can't remember her name or what she looks like but I know I'm supposed to have one! What the hell is going on?"

She tried to stand abruptly up, but it was too much and she fell backward from head rush. Riku of course was behind to catch her. She turned around and buried herself in whoever's chest was nearest to her. She didn't even look up to see who it was. She turned her head back and looked straight at Sora, her word not seeming to come from her mouth of her own will.

"You should know her." Rhiara said.

Sora froze and stared at her, perplexed. Rhiara turned to look at Riku for the first time since waking up. She was lost in his turquoise eyes. He stared back at her, concern lighting his eyes. Recognition appeared in her eyes but it vanished just as soon as it got there. She tilted her head to the side. Her soft hair brushed Riku's hands, tickling them lightly.

"And I should know you…" she whispered.

She ran a hand over the right side of his face. Riku froze at her touch. His eyes widened considerably and he stiffened as she touched him. She didn't cringe back or wince when she touched him. She almost seemed considerably happy to see him. A part of him was elated to see this but another part told him that they had never met before.

"But I can't…" she then passed out again.

Riku steadied her again so she wouldn't crash to the floor. His arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly against his frame. Everyone looked at one another obviously confused. Then Donald came through the door. There was a smile on his face and he seemed pretty level headed about whatever he had come to say.

"We're landing in Hollow Bastion right now." He announced. "What did I miss?"

No one answered.


	8. No Idea

_**CHAPTER 8**_

**_NO IDEA..._**

_Rhiara hung heavily in the darkness around her. First there was nothing, and then there were flashes of everything. Images began to form before her. The images of the past once again plaguing her with their memory. She couldn't understand what exactly was going on, but as figures and voices became less distorted she began to recognize it. _

_The place was a dark chamber of a castle. _

_The figures were hazy, but two distinguishable characters played out. One was a witch emanating the aura of the deepest darkness through her neon green eyes. The other was a boy, about 15, with platinum hair and turquoise eyes. _

_The dialogue was the gamble of the boy's worth and circumstances. A certain person close to him and their essence was on the line. The only way to bring them back was with the help of seven pure hearted maidens. _

_Rhiara's eyes widened as she relived the scene before her. It was of the first time she had witnessed and been exposed to the boy whom she was sent to follow silently through his first journey of darkness. She noticed several points of the conversation. _

_The highlights of the boy's relationship of the girl with ocean blue eyes. _

_His will to do anything to protect her. _

_The lie the witch was dangling before him that he was not completely oblivious to see. _

_Her chilling words hung in the air. _

"_My dear boy, I only have your best interests at heart." She purred. _

"_Some how, I highly doubt that." He rebuked. _

_But he still followed her anyway._

_Rhiara shivered, the eyes and the voice she thought had been destroyed still chilled her, even in memory. Another figure in the scene suddenly began to make itself clear. It was a young girl, about 14 years old. She had dark skin, long auburn waves, and amethyst eyes. She looked around confused and lost, but stayed closely to the platinum haired boy helplessly. Like she knew she was supposed to be near him. He could not see her of course, no one could, and she soon realized this. Then the girl began to comically take advantage of the situation for a moment. She stuck her tongue out in the face of the witch. She roamed the room somewhat freely. She made comments and gave sharpening looks at her suspicion of the high presence of darkness in her midst. Yet she also studied the boy intently. She returned to his side again, feeling trust to no one but him. _

_Rhiara realized that in some strange way, she was watching herself, watch the story of the young boy from her dream 2 years ago. It was so strange. The memories seemed even more real in this third person perspective of what happened to her. The scene began to end before her and she saw the boy exit down a corridor after a villainous character to do their bidding, the young spirit version of herself followed him invisibly, just as it had in her dream. _

_She thought the scene was supposed to end their, but it didn't. It lingered in the room with the witch and she watched as the witch suddenly had a merciless all-knowing smile across her face. She turned to another villainous character that was present in the room and made a sudden comment. _

"_It seems as if Riku has been joined on his journey by a little invisible guardian." _

_The character of whom she spoke seemed confused, but the witch merely turned her head and continued her comment, no longer seeming to address the character but an unknown presence in the room. _

"_So that is how your hiding, Princess of Darkness." _

_All of the sudden Rhiara felt the witch's eyes look at her directly, letting her know her presence was known. _

_She felt the rush of fear course her veins and then the darkness returned quickly. A menacing chuckle could still be heard as the images faded. _

_She began to sink into it once more, still enveloped; the only thing giving her solace was the smooth sound of a familiar voice, purring protectively from some far away seem_ing place.

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The ship landed in Hollow Bastion some what on schedule, despite Sora's continuous protesting upon the subject of him being aloud to drive. Everyone prepared to disboard, and the sensation of the landing was quite a different experience for the newcomers among the Gummi Ship. Of course Riku and Kairi took the landing much more normally than the mage and the weapon wielder, being as they were used to rapid world changes from their previous endeavors.

Rhiara was still unconscious, and though you didn't see any physical reaction form her, her current state was still a concerned thought topic among the whole party. Aside this fact, the rest of them descended into Hollow Bastion as normally as they could, as however normal was defined for Felicity and Malia.

Felicity was hyper and ecstatic. She was obsessed with flying in gummi ships, being as she had childhood experience found nothing more thrilling than arriving in new worlds. Her eldest of her two older brothers was a dedicated young engineer who'd had been assisting the King in some of his plans in some of the latest gummi ship expeditions. Whenever her brother would successfully build and test a new mode, she was always the first he had taken out on random drives and expeditions. Of course, she hadn't been in a ship for over two years. When she had been brought by her brother to the "previous world" of Mauvera she had become enveloped in the task of becoming guardian and training the new royalty on her new home. There was no time for anything else anyway.

Malia had the worst and most disagreeable reaction. She hated travel; she only did it by portals. Anything else gave her horrible motion sickness. And intergalactic world changing travel was no different. During the change of pressure in the landing her face had changed several lovely shades of green, and then she became plagued by an incredible head ache, not to mention the constant dizziness. It took all she had to maintain her chilled composure.

As soon as the ship came to a halt all three new members of the party descended down the landing in a different manner. Felicity bounded down it after Sora, Goofy, and Donald had departed first. Her boundless energy expressed in skips and leaps of delight. Malia stumbled down the landing, holding her head and using her staff as a form of walking support. She glared daggers at Felicities highly tolerant state and clambered for the solid ground.

Rhiara was being carried down by Riku, who held her securely. Kairi was faithfully by his side, feeling he might need some sort of stable support after the brief episode by Rhiara in the backroom just moments ago. What was Rhiara supposed to mean when she had said she should know Riku, "but she couldn't." It just seemed contradicting and confusing.

Especially the part about the sister who didn't exist.

And Sora was apparently supposed to be connected to her. Kairi was perplexed as ever with that one. She had just stood there and stared at Sora with confused eyes, wondering if there had been some girl in his past travels that he had failed to mention to her. He told her everything, down to every last detail. It didn't seem likely that there would be something he wanted to skip out on, unless he meant to keep it secret intentionally. But as she remembered, when she had gazed upon his light blue eyes, they were just as puzzled as hers were. There was no way he knew anything. She hoped something would be cleared upon up as soon as they met the king. It seemed to be their only hope for all of them at the moment.

On half the way to the route to Merlin's house they were met conviantly by three friendly figures from their past. All of whom they were happy to the see. The three were a stoic brunette swordsman, a beautiful and gentle eyed Ancient descendant, and a high strung night haired ninja girl.

"Leon! Aerithe! Yuffie! Hey guys, how are you?" Sora called excitedly, running to the three.

The two groups met in easy steps. The reunion on this occasion wasn't as eager or surprised and rushed. And though the greetings were informal, Leon, Yuffie, and Aerithe couldn't help but take notice of the three new members of the large group. And especially at the sight of an unconscious girl in the arms of Riku, they began to realize that what the King was going to warn them about was as urgent as the previous times had been.

Aerithe stepped up to them first giving the entire group, even the currently unknown girls, her unfailingly kind smile.

"Hello Sora. Were all wonderful. It's nice thing to see you all together. Especially you two, Kairi and Riku. It's wonderful to see you three all happy and reunited again."

Riku nodded pleasantly in recognition, but did not step foreword to meet them further for his attention was focused all on Rhiara. His mind swarming with thoughts for her. His arms intensely, but not severely, using their strength to support her once more unconscious frame.

Kairi instead stepped up on both of their behalf and went to give Aerithe an extremely delighted and friendly hug, which Aerithe of course returned. From the short time that Kairi had spent under the care of the three after Sora had rescued her from Maleficent, Aerithe had always been one of Kairi's favorites. Aerithe always had a caring and nurturing presence about her, and yet she had a strength in her that made there seem more to her than her gentle eyes indicated. This was something that Kairi admired very much and hoped to achieve to be like.

She through her arms around Aerithe and smiled happily. "It really great to meet up with the rest of you guys too!" she perked.

Leon then moved from his still serious position and just looked down, shaking his head in a solemn knowing smile. "And yet it seems that whenever we meet, it means distress has arisen in the fate of the worlds."

Sora's peppy demeanor instantly changed at Leon's words and he pondered them.

"Wow…your right…" he said slowly, a frown of disappointment and worry spreading across his face.

Leon was right, as he usually was. Them being brought together means there had been a disturbance in the safe boundaries of the worlds. The boundaries of Light and Dark and Kingdom Hearts had been crossed. Heartless were once again wreaking their havoc upon unsuspecting stars. Relationships were being torn apart and hearts continuously taken. It's like it never ended.

All his services, All his fears…there seemed to be a constant need for one or the other to arise.

All of the sudden the night haired ninja girl decided to take her verbal entrance and the mood shifted dramatically from the uncomfortable realization that Leon had wafted into the air.

"Well **that's** depressing!" Yuffie called out, shaking her head and putting her hands behind her head casually. "Geez Squall, do you always have to put such a damper on things?" She then reached out playfully and pushed Leon's shoulder to break him of his serious composure. He in turn sighed heavily in an irritated manner.

Yuffie then traveled to Sora and ruffled his spiky brown head in a light hearted, reassuring manner. "Hey, Sora, don't pay attention to him. Squall is Squall. You know that. Don't worry your spiky head about anything. We're gonna help you and the worlds! We did it before and we can do it again!"

Sora's face rose into a grin and he then met Yuffie's happily, his mood lifted with reassurance. They both beamed at each other equally, putting the sun to shame with the power of the positive energy radiating between them. Sora and Yuffie seemed to have the same uncanny ability of evoking light heartedness in the darkest of situations. That was an ability that most everyone felt grateful to have around, for these might truly turn out to be dark times.

Once again the air was broken by another sound, this time a rapid fit of giggles coming from a green eyed redhead.

"Squall?" Felicity questioned at through a hand over her mouth to try and stifle her next set of giggles. Malia tried shushing her abruptly.

Leon shook his head aggravated with a frustrated hand through his hair. "Don't listen to her." He said through grit teeth as glared at Yuffie, Yuffie merely looking devious. "My name is Leon." He then returned to his formal state and looked at the two, especially Felicity in an almost demanding manner. "And I believe we have yet to learn who you two are as well." The look and tone in his voice indicated that he wanted to know who they were and why they were with Sora. The girls may have been traveling with good company, but the Leon had learned in his own mind to not judge motives by such means as that.

"A meet and greet? I'll do it!" Yuffie sang eagerly as she jumped up and down holding Leon's right shoulder, then back flipped gracefully into the centre of the group into a proud pose, and began to point out each of her colleagues with gusto.

"The pretty girl with the brown hair is Aerithe. You'll all like her." Yuffie announced pointing to Aerithe. Aerithe waved pleasantly. "Next this tall guy with the sword is Squall-"She paused, seeing Leon cringe behind her at the use of the name again. She smirked deviously, knowing very well the intention on her choice of words, and then correcting herself saying. "Oh, pardon me, I mean Squall Leonhart. But call him Leon." Leon sighed again. She smirked at him again. "And last but not least I'm Yuffie, ninja extraordinaire!" she finished, indulging in her own self introduction into a proud pose.

Malia scrutinized the new group just as Leon had to her and her guardian friend. Right now, she only trusted her secrets with Sora and his small group. It somewhat irritated her that she now was going to have to explain half of her current life story to everyone new she was meeting. She sighed, knowing she would probably have to either way when they saw the King. That was one of the things she actually did remember. A King. Not a name or a face, but just the memory of a powerful figure that she had known as helping her as she grew up. She sighed; about to get her intro over with, but just after the ninja's intro Felicity eagerly beat her to the punch.

"Awesome!" Felicity responded eagerly with excited eyes. "Kay, my turn! My name is Felicity and I am a weapons masteress of all things weapons!" she happily pulled the huge broad sword across her back from the sheath and presented the glittering blade out casually for them to see. Felicity always enjoyed a chance to show off her weapons. Each blade happened to be her pride and joy. "That girl who's knocked out is Rhiara; she's a little bit more fun conscious." She swung her blade casually in Rhiara's direction to indicate, almost knocking out several people along the way. She then turned to Malia. "And the mage next to me is Malia." She then threw the arm that wasn't holding the sword around her best friends shoulder giggled out, "Say hi and actually smile Mali!"

Malia sighed heavily. Felicities' constant excited attitude was easy enough to bare, but now was not the time. Not after all that had happened to them within in the short past time span. Malia herself was trying to focus on figuring out to come to a realization on their situation. She felt that sometimes Felicity couldn't tap into the seriousness of certain issues, especially their current one.

"Thank you Felicity, but I believe I can introduce myself." Malia said, peeling off the redhead's arm from around her shoulder. She turned professionally to Leon. "My name is Malia, as my friend said I am a sorceress. The unconscious girl you see is a princess, and something happened to our world where we ended up in a place called Traverse Town and were ambushed by Heartless. That's when Sora and the rest of his friends assisted us."

The eyes of the three all widened at the mention of Traverse Town.

Yuffie's dark pupils became as wide as quarters. "Holy Crow! Traverse Town is back?!" She turned to Leon utterly confused. "Leon! How is that possible? You said it got destroyed when they closed Kingdom Hearts the first time. How can it just be back?!"

Leon, just as surprised, tried coming up with an explanation. Traverse Town had been formed as a surrogate world to those cast in darkness after they had lost their own worlds. When the Door to Darkness was sealed and the residents were returned, there wasn't a need for it anymore. It then had vanished. Why had it suddenly reappeared?

Riku stepped foreword with the girl in his arms and spoke for the first time, sharing his information.

"Before this whole thing happened I had been watching the sky, and I saw a star go out."

Leon nodded. So that was it then. It all made sense.

"So their world is gone." He stated in conclusion.

At hearing this the grin on Felicities face immediately melted and then plastered into worried confusion.

"What do you mean its gone?"

Felicity didn't want to comprehend. Her excited eager emotions were dwindling and replaced with an uneasy feeling. Their world was gone? What exactly did he mean? What exactly did that entail? Everything they had once known was now...just…poof…gone? It make sense, and she began to feel it, her emotions almost unreeling through her eyes.

"It was taken over by the Heartless." Sora said to her, trying to find a way to explain it delicately. He knew it was hard to fathom your world was gone. And it wasn't like they couldn't get it back. It was just so lost in darkness that it would be difficult to locate again.

"But I just don't get it!" Felicity said, her voice starting to gain a higher pitch and sound shaky. "I've been to other worlds! Whole other worlds with people and lives and loves and bonds and places so full of light you cant see straight! How can a being of darkness, no matter how big, just consume that! It doesn't make sense. How can we just loose everything that's close to us in the blink of an eye because of some dark energy? Things like that just can't disappear!"

"They can if there is a limitless mass of dark energy strong enough to overtake it and swallow it."  
Leon responded matter-of-factly. His voice seemed to be void of emotion, he had seen this all too many times before for there to be any.

"But how can it just-"she struggled, feeling oncoming tears of disbelief, of frustration, trying to hold them back. "I just don't see how…how it can all-" Falling to her knees she did not wish to get back up.

Malia gazed at her best friend and sighed heavily again, but this time from her own realization. She had underestimated Felicities' own understanding of the situation. She should be used to Felicity's demeanor by now, she was the only one who tried to keep things on a constant positive outlook, she was always giddy always happy, that was just her nature. But Malia should have known better than any one that Felicity also had a very emotionally sensitive side. She was very in tune with peoples emotional sides when they were close to her, and also extremely protective of them. She also got attached to things and people easily. For Felicity, losing something that meant the world to her; meant the _end _of the world to her.

She quickly came up to the red headed imp and wrapped her arms around her best friend in an almost maternal way. She tried to comfort the weapon carrier by stroking her short red hair, feeling her best friends shaking sobs coming on.

She then turned her head to Leon, Felicity still trying to be embraced comfortingly in her arms. Her voice retained a type of authority to it, even though she tried to make it softer for Felicities' sake.

"I'm sorry. As you can see we're just trying to come to terms with the situation at the moment. If you explained I'm sure it would be easier for us to comprehend and understand."

All of the sudden Felicities' head jerked up. Her face was now tear streaked, but their was an almost bitter emotion in her eyes that was usually absent from them. The bottle green eyes reflected frustration, and almost anger.

"Understand?" she spoke to Malia, practically bitterly. "How can we possibly be expected to understand Mali? They don't anything about what we're going through. That's why their approaching it so blank faced! How could you possibly even empathize!" she pointed an accusing finger at Leon , thoroughly addressing him.

"Felicity! Your words are spoken irrationally! Your letting your emotions corrupt your judgment." Malia said sternly.

Felicity scoffed indignantly. "Don't tell me I'm emotionally unstable Mali! How could they know what we're going through.?"She broke away form the mages hold and continued, addressing her bitter frustrated words to air around her. "From I see they all have a large home world surrounded by people their close to, all working toward some common purpose. We're all alone. I'm alone! I have you and Rhia and that's it!" The tears progressed more heavily, more as she became angered with her current situation. "Our world is gone! All the people and things we knew are gone. Everything we've ever known and cherished is gone. Apparently vanished in a wisp of darkness!" She almost choked as she spoke her words so hard. She turned to Malia again, trying to find answers the stable one of the pair couldn't give her. "And do you know what the worst part is?" she questioned rhetorically and resentfully. Her voice went higher and cracked again."I can't even remember what I lost! The memories all gone. You two are the only thing I know! We're thrown into a strange world in a horrible situation and all its spiraling downward! They have no idea. It's a hell we're having to go through all by ourselves!"

She was near the breaking point of sobs with her emotional break. And everyone was uncomfortable. No one wanted to comment on the situation, fear to strike something more. Felicity had even gone as far as to notice Leon's unemotional approach and accusingly pick it apart.

Kairi and Sora looked at each other, ill at ease with the current conversation. Donald and Goofy said nothing, nor did Yuffie for once.

Aerithe knew and had the feeling that the girl was just speaking from her fragile emotional state and not her true heart, and she was truly understandable that this was hard for her. The redhead had no way of knowing the wave of darkness that had crossed all of their paths of the course of the past. She had no way to know. And yet, Aerithe didn't inform her. She felt it was not her place in this because she knew the girl wasn't going to want to here it.

Riku held Rhiara steadily and remained silent, but the guardian's words almost angered him from her ignorance of all their pasts. Still, he said nothing. He had a feeling that all the words he felt he should project were going to be spoken for them.

As predicted, Leon stepped foreword, almost intimidating. This girl had no idea what she was talking about, and he was going to straighten that out right now. It was as simple as that.

He just shook his head and looked down, not even looking her in the eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you," he said simply, almost with out emphasis , seeming to give the statement more intensity. "But we've all, already been through it." He then began to look like he was walking away from the group, but after a couple of steps and his backed turned to them he stopped. Then merely outstretched an arm indicated in Sora, Riku, and Kairi's direction. "Those three," he began. "Those three were all separated for an entire year and a half. Their world was completely over taken by darkness and lost in it. Their hearts were in danger a countless number of times, and on a certain occurrence they had almost completely forgotten each others existence."

He paused slightly waiting for Felicity to make a comment. She said nothing, only being silenced by his words and listened obediently ,intently. Her head was slightly lowered, she would not make eye contact.

He continued, his arms slightly lowering. "And whatever stroke of luck you and you're friends seemed to have in ending up being cast off your world together, didn't happen to them. They were all thrown into separate portals of darkness, leading toward their own journeys of darkness that they had to face all by themselves."

Sora and Kairi then looked more uncomfortable then before, remembering the truth of he incidence and the truth of their misfortune. Riku looked off the to the distance, almost smirking.

Felicity said absolutely nothing. Her state of depression and self frustration seemed to have been broken completely. She was holding her tongue so hard it was bleeding.

Leon then switched the position of his arm, pointing in Goofy and Donald's direction. "Those two," he said lowly. "Those two lost their king. They left all they knew on an order and traveled from world to world to find him. They endangered their lives countless amounts of times to make sure the fate of the worlds remained stable."

He then dropped his arms, resting one against his side, the other gripping his sword, looking off into the distance of Hollow Bastion. "And as for us," he said, "This is all that remains of our world. We were betrayed by our leader and lost our own home to darkness, more than once. The "amazing" world you see before you is the ruins we had to fight to reclaim. And we sure as hell had to fight hard."

He then took a couple of steps to walk off again, but then stopped, this seeming to be only momentarily. He turned and looked directly at Felicity, knowing discontent grazing his eyes. New tears were beginning to form in her bottle green eyes. These weren't of self pity, but just of complete embarrassment for her ignorance and just running her mouth.

"By the way," Leon called, finishing the statement initiating it by speaking over his shoulder. "Sometimes not remembering is a good thing. Because I cant forget." He clenched fist and his eyes arose to the sunset. "I still have every memory from when the Heartless came and desecrated this world. I cant forget the complete helplessness I possessed in the situation, how I was powerless to stop them. And I'm plagued by every memory driving me to continuously work to rebuild this place to a lack luster of original glory. So be grateful you can't remember. Memories you don't have can't haunt you."

He then walked away, not stopping, seeming to go the rest of the way to Merlin's. "Come on you guys," he called not turning around. "The King is in no doubt here already and waiting. We better get going." He then turned around a corner and was gone.

Every one was silent, just looking at Felicity intently. Aerithe held a fist to her pink lips sadly, hoping she wasn't too affected by Leon's harsh words. Though now she knew…

Felicity wouldn't look up. She was shaking. She shakily reached out for her broad sword, clutching her hands tightly around the handle, hugging the blade tightly to her chest. It almost seemed as if she was looking or some form of comfort, some sort of stability. She looked even more broken now.

"Felicity…" Kairi whispered softly, taking a step forward slowly, trying to see if she was alright.

"…I'm sorry…" Felicity murmured in a soft breath, trying apologize. She shook even more, the tears started again, her knuckles went white from gripping the sword so hard. "…I…I…I-didn't know…"

"Felicity its okay," Yuffie tried to console, stepping next to Kairi. "You were upset. You didn't know. You-"

Yuffie was then interrupted by a loud sob escaping Felicities' throat, leading into a fit of her weeping uncontrollably and inconsolably from sure disarray. She wept horribly from confusion, feeling stupid for letting herself take out her frustration on the very people were supposed to help her. She wept for their sorrow of their pasts and the uncertainness of her future. She wept for it all. Malia was always telling her to watch herself. Well she didn't and look what happened. Why did this all have to happen?

Malia reconnected herself with the girl immediately, crouching beside her and gently taking the sword from Felicity so she would look up at her. She gathered some of the flowing lavender blue material of her silken garment and used it to try to pry the tears softly from Felicities.

"See what happens when you don't think before your words?" Malia lectured softly, no tone of actual harshness or authority in her voice at all. A wall had seemed to fall around her. A soft protectiveness of her best friend was seen. The silent group all came slowly around, for it seemed that Felicity was going to try saying something.

"I don't know what's going on Malia," Felicity whispered through tears. She kept shaking her head unbelievably. "Everything just seems wrong, I feel like I don't have control of anything. I cant remember anything. Rhiara is unconscious and we have no idea what's going on with her right now. And…" she looked up at Malia, her hands falling clasped to her chin. Her eyes glittered with tears. "And I have this horrible feeling like something's missing Malia. This horrible wrong feeling that some one or something is supposed to be here with us and their not. Do you feel it to? I keep trying to think of what it is, and I cant think of anything. My mind is so vacant its scaring me. Oh Mali, everything is just so wrong!" she looked down again, but her tears spilled more quietly.

Sora and other all looked to Felicity with sympathy, and looked to Malia with question. Malia only looked at the ground, trying to pry her own mind. The emptiness was a thing she did **not** like. And she could feel what Felicity was feeling, and it wasn't good. It was empty gnawing spot beside her indicating something was indeed missing, but the mystery persisted as to what it was.

Her head raised to Sora. "Sora, please take us to this wizards house. We're going to need to speak with your king. And fast. I fear that answers we need, need to be addressed immediately."

He nodded in complete agreement. "Come on everyone. I think we should hurry." No one disagreed.

They all proceeded to Merlin's, once again all in a serious manner. Malia helped Felicity up and was surrounded by Aerithe and Yuffie making sure she was okay. The group was lead by Sora, Donald, and Goofy; followed by Kairi hoping not to loose sight of him, though still worried for the three new additions now more the ever. Riku lagged behind again, still holding Rhiara.

Another emotional episode. More questions no seemed to be able to answer. The drama in his life escalated to no end it seemed.

He sighed, and then noticed Rhiara seemed to shiver in his arms. She gripped the Keyblade tighter as she carried it to her chest like before. She clutched it as if she was hoping it could protect her, protect her from whatever force was disturbing her in her nightmares. He gripped her more, the protectiveness instinct sweeping over him once more, wanting to protect her from something he couldn't even see. He whispered things to her periodically, not things of great value, just of quantity of substance, hoping the sound of his voice would soothe her. From whatever she was fearing in her sleep anyway.

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**AN/**

**Omigosh I'm back!!! ^^ I have arisen from the deep dark valley that is called "Technical Troubles" and escaped the clutches of the monster known as "Writer's Procrastination!" **

**Im sooo very sorry it took me so long to continue this. School has been horribly time consuming...and I know a few peeps were waiting for the next chapter. I promise this will keep going. This one chapter has been my Achilles heel to finish, but Im sure it will all go more smoothly for me from here!**

**Please PM me if you have any questions, conerns, criticism, or just want to chat!^^ **

**Constant thumbs up to my Beta Kida who puts up with my procrastination! **

**Please dont make me regret putting time and energy to get this out! REVIEW AND FAVORITE AND ALERT THIS FOR ME!**

**It would make me very happy^^**

**-may your dreams come true,**

**Tasia^^**


	9. Intrigued

**_CHAPTER 9:_**

**_INTRIGUED..._**

The procession to Merlins house was completed silently, aside from the occasional murmuring of Riku to Rhiara. For her unconscious benefit supposedly. Along the way though, Aerith had added something enjoyably surprising. Apparently Cloud had been around and would be staying in Hollow Bastion for awhile, so Sora and the rest would get a chance to see him.

This piece of information had been forgotten temporarily due to the obvious episode that had taken place by Felicity, but Aerith was glad to reveal it now. It seemed like most of them needed anything to lift their spirits at that moment.

As they approached the house of the famous wizard, as well as the Central HQ for the Hollow Bastion restoration committee, they noticed a figure exiting out of the ancient door.

To most of the group, he was no one new.

He was a close friend who had been known for years, but drifted from time to time. He was a powerful figure who showed up in their pasts, teaching them something about inner lights along the way. He was a loyal ally to their cause, always a support when needed.

But to a set ice colored blue eyes, _he _was a completely new and curious experience.

The figure in the iced eye's focus was tall, obviously well built and well trained from the series of battles he fought frequently. He had spiky ,bright blonde hair ;layered in the bangs and falling slightly over a pair of blue eyes. Not as chilled as hers were. They were warmer, more of a sky colored shade, yet they showed a series of components the ice eyes could identify with very easily.

Malia could immediately tell his aura. There was a deep sense of struggle, a battle within himself. The forces of light and darkness were waging their own war with in his very subconscious. Each side desperate to take control. He had a prescence of determination and withdrawl and longing and recklessly calm composure as he struggled to maintain himself. To maintain being kept in the search of his own closure.

The extremely large broad sword on his back_ **(which Felicity, had she been in a better mood, would have most certainly sought out to compare and rival with her own)**_ was not his only power. Malia caught a wisp of certain elements circling him. Darkness and a twilight essence in particularly. They gave her almost a vision of his true power. The vision of a fallen and torn angel.

There was so much of everything circling him that Malia wasn't really quite sure of it all. One thing **was **for sure though. She knew that she had never been so intrigued about one individual in her life. She had never felt a presence of this kind of aura in so long. Not since her own…

"Cloud! Hey! How's it going?!" Sora waved to Cloud energetically, always glad at a chance to see the fellow ,spiky haired ,questing warrior. "So it looks like you blew back around!"

"Hey Sora," Cloud said calmly, nodding to the group whom most of the members he had seen earlier. "Yeah," he added folding his arms casually ,seeming to look off into the distance. His eyes were seen swarming with thoughts as he leaned against the stone wall. "I did come back."

"And he's gonna stick around," Yuffie piped playfully over the blonde's shoulder. "Right Cloud?"

Sora's eyes seemed to take on a certain sparkle that Riku and Kairi could easily identify as his "eager face." His spiky hair practically standing on end to hear the answer he hoped, hoping immediately that Cloud **would** actually be around for a while this time.

Cloud closed his eyes peacefully and half smiled. "Pretty much I guess. I think this time I'll be near here for quite a while. I've been brought here with things to do."

For some reason, even though having just barely met him, Malia felt an almost wave of relief and contentment with his words too. He was staying. **Wait…so what**? What significance was he of her concern as of this moment? He didn't concern her. Why would she be happy he might linger in the Radiant Garden ruins?

Malia felt herself stir uncomfortably within her own mind, causing her to gaze at Cloud more intensely, as if looking for answers to the feeling that were probing her mind.

He almost sensed this, and then opened one eye curiously from his relaxed state and now took full note of the new members in the party. His sky blue eyes scanned them over. First starting with Malia, the source of the intensity, and working his way through Felicity, the unconscious Rhiara in Riku's arms, Riku himself and then Kairi.

"Um…Sora, who are these people?" he questioned. Malia noticed his gaze had lingered on her first, this causing an almost embarrassed blush on her pale cheeks.

"These are all friends of mine Cloud." Sora piped, stepping aside with an outstretched hadn indicated to the group. He then glanced over slightly and gave a re-assuring smile toward Felicity who still looked a bit down from speaking blindly earlier.

Aerithe then stepped next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder with the same smile. "Some of them newer than others." She added.

This made Felicity's face brighten. She was just so relieved to be re-assured that the group was still accepting her, even after all the horrible things she had said. She liked them a lot. The continuous kindness was something she cherished. Malia saw her smile and grinned slightly too, happy to see her friend's spirits were lifting.

Aerithe then looked back to Riku and Kairi. "These two are Riku and Kairi, Cloud." She pointed out, not voiding them their moment in the spotlight. "They're the two friends that Sora was trying so hard to find. Remember?"

Cloud gazed at Sora's too closest friends, Kairi waving with a smile and Riku giving an acknowledging nod. Cloud watched the smiling Kairi for a minute , then smiled knowingly himself.

"I see, so you're his light," he said matter-o-factly addressing Kairi. "Well that wasn't hard to tell, I can see why."

Kairi blushed deeply ,as did Sora, though giving a goofy smile while thinking of Kairi. He tried to bring the attention elsewhere. "Yeah…um, and the new three are some girls we helped back in Traverse Town."

Cloud's eyebrows raised slightly in question.

Yuffie groaned and dismissed the statement with a wave of her hand. "We'll tell you later." She looked back at the unconscious princess. "Right now we have to get those guys to see the King. Rhiara is the name of the passed out girl, apparently she's a Princess. And those two are her guardians."

"Name's Felicity," Felicity said with a quiet smile, not her usual perky self. "I'm the weapons expert."

"I'm Malia," Malia said smoothly, trying to speak for herself. "A mage."

Cloud nodded in acknowledgement, a very Riku-like reply. "Cloud." He said simply. "Lets get you guys in here, Leon's in there too. They caught sight of the King's ship on the radar, so it shouldn't be too long before her gets here. Be the way, Leon looked pretty ticked off. You guys say something to make him mad?"

Felicity looked down immediately. The mortification returning once more.

Yuffie sighed again. "We'll tell you that later too."

Cloud merely shrugged and passed their group, heading out into the Town instead of returning to Merlins cottage.

"Cloud?" Sora asked confused. "Where are you going? Every one's going in!"

"I have something to do." Cloud merely stated. He then kept walking off, not even turning around.

"Hey wait!" Sora called after him, turning to follow him, but was caught on the shoulder by Aerithe, who shook her head kindly to deteriorate him from continuing.

"Just let him go Sora," she said quietly with a smile. "You know how he is. Besides, we've got your own friends to worry about."

Sora sighed and nodded, taking one last look at Cloud over his shoulder and then going in with the rest of them.

Some one else took a long last look at Cloud too. She stared at him for a while, focusing on his large blade and on the form of him in his black apparel. She stared as he walked away. She stared till she was alone, and realized that she never usually did things like that. Lingering until she was the last one to regain her senses. That wasn't like her at all.

She hurried to go through the wizard's door before some one noticed her absence.

She gave one last thought to the one called Cloud. He was very intriguing to her. Very intriguing indeed…

** A/N-**

**Hey everyone! Im really sorry this chapter is sooo short! And Im really sorry I took so long too! I have been trying to gain my thoughts to get into my Ouran Story and completely neglected this one in the process! I decided I should at least post SOMETHING, ya know? This chapter was originally way longer, but the rest of it is still unfinished, so I thought I should at least get something to you guys...I'll keep going though! Dont you worry haha!**

**READ AND REVIEW!**

**Hope you enjoyed it^^**

**OH! And check out my other story too, its an Ouran one, barey starting...but its gonna be good I promise^^ Also be on the look out for another KH fic i'll be starting very soon. Its a whole next generation thign! I'll put in a preview of the summary next time! Something to keep you waiting!**

**Until then my awsome readers^^**

**_Tasia^^**


	10. Just a Dream?

Chapter 10

_**Just a Dream?**_

Riku sat and watched Rhiara, for the second time now.

He seemed to be developing a habit of that.

They were all waiting for the King. Aerith had directed the group into Merlin's small cottage as they waited and everyone huddled over to the computer screens that Cid still had meticulously set up from last time. Sora, Goofy, and Donald we're being updated on the group's previous affairs; in the meantime Cid and Yuffie tried explaining the town's defense system to the two guardian girls. Felicity was enthralled. Malia, obviously, was listening little and her focus seemed else where.

Leon was on his own solo computer working on something heatedly, yet solemnly. He still seemed to be brooding over the past events with Felicity. She could still tell this, and cringed uncomfortably each time she glanced in his direction.

Either way, from the aura he seemed to be emanating, everyone decided it would be best if he was let be till the King arrived.

Aerith insisted Riku place Rhiara someplace comfortable, so he stretched her out against the small single bed along the wall and sat upon the foot of it. Aerith and Kairi hovered over her temporarily, giving her current injuries a double check. Aerith tried in her own way to find a connection for the princess's unconscious state, but was un-successful. Eventually Aerith, had at least pronounced her stable until she woke up to ease Riku's worries, then drifted to the huddle on the other side of the room to try to get more into the recollection of the group.

Kairi floated faithfully to Sora's side on her own account, knowing very well that it was best for Riku to be lost in his own mind right now.

This brought us to the current state he was in now. Just sitting and watching her, as his instinct seemed to persist.

He kept going over in his mind all of the things she had said. At the mention of her "sister", the tone in her voice had seemed so strange. It was as if she had been speaking in a trance like state. So many images dancing before her mind.

He had experienced the same thing being around her. That same trance like state of images. It was every time he touched her. Every time she stirred or murmured. Each time he looked at her. Even at the mere mention of her name.

_Rhiara…_

It was a name shrouded in darkness. Not an evil darkness, just a mysterious type. The Heartless back in Traverse Town didn't seem to be able to touch her, yet her aura reeked of darkness. Riku was confused. He could somewhat sense what was in her heart and there was no darkness of corruption. She seemed to simply just **be** dark.

And Riku knew plenty about darkness. Sadly though, he had been one of the victims of the evil kind. His heart corrupted in a fruitless quest. A path of destruction he had paved for himself.

He had always wondered why the heartless were never able to take over his heart in the beginning. He had willed them and controlled them, and even though most of the power had been bestowed by Maleficent, some of it was of his own right. He had his own power and abilities that made him a walker of Twilight. Perfectly suited for using the darkness with out being over taken by it.

For some reason, in Riku's mind, he wondered if there had been some hidden source of his control. Some type of ability. Some type of assistance. Some type of ...hidden…presence…

Again his mind drifted back in thought to the presence. It had been so long ago. He didn't think it could be possible, but there had never been another feeling like this since then.

It had been way back during his first journey.

When the islands were first destroyed, when he had just begun to find out about his Twilight abilities. There had been an invisible feeling around him that he could only describe now as a guardian of some sort. At first he had mistaken it for Kairi's aura, perhaps reaching out to him as he searched for her heart. But in time he realized a major difference.

It was a presence all its own. It was supporting almost. He could find strength sometimes when he never knew himself capable. Yet, he had never seen what caused it. But he could feel it. The undeniable aura that had been with him from the beginning.

That was until…Ansem…had completely taken him over. It hadn't been by force. It had been by his will. When he willingly submitted to Ansem's darkness and transformed into the puppet for the rest of Ansem's evil purpose.

He remembered almost hearing the figure scream in protest.

There had been one solid scene running through his mind, over and over again. It was starting to clear up, but the images were stilled blurred in the color and formation. It was the last thing he had seen before the Door to Darkness had been closed, with him behind it.

It had been a girl. Yes…

No…

Wait…

Yes…he was sure it had been.

He had just finished telling Sora to take care of Kairi. He was ready to be submerged in the eternal darkness, but at that last second, he had seen this figure.

It was the figure of a girl, who looked to be about Sora's age. She'd had dark, dark skin and shoulder length auburn colored hair.

He didn't quite catch all the details because the girl had been moving rapidly. Because she had been running toward the door.

She had been running to the door and reaching out in a desperate manner, her auburn tresses cascading in waves behind her.

And she had been calling out. Calling out his name distinctly.

_Riku! _

_Riku!_

And she had been crying. The mystery figure had been weeping panicked tears, scrambling to try to reach the door in time, and calling out to him in a sobbing, almost heart breaking attempt.

_Riku! _

_Please…No! _

_Riku! _

_Riku…_

Her voice came back to him as part of the memory. Ringing in its dark but warming timbre.

The first thing Riku had thought about before the door was shut,

"Who would shed tears for me? After…what I've done…"

But the figure still persisted. Crying even more, begging even more in that millisecond for the door to stop closing.

And then, as the light of the world had been lost to him, and the hinges of the door locked, Riku had smiled. Because he had felt some strange comfort, that whatever he had seen, whoever this figure was…it had been the last thing he had seen before being swallowed into the darkness.

And he had thought he had lost that presence forever. But now…this girl….

How could it be possible?

All of the sudden the torrents of his thoughts were interrupted by a presence of some one approaching him. It was Sora. He had been so unaware of the room that he hadn't seen his best friend coming up to him and sitting on the stool by the edge of the bed.

Sora decided that Riku needed to talk to some one. Whether he wanted to or not. He seemed so lost in his own thoughts; it was almost depressing to watch his look of complete confusion. The thought of contemplation was clearly seen plaguing his mind through his silent face.

One could only wonder what he was thinking about, but Sora wasn't just anyone. He knew Riku better than any one. The fact that he hadn't let the princess girl out of his sight for a minute since finding her also gave away a pretty large hint.

"Riku…" Sora questioned, now slightly prodding Riku's shoulder to get Riku to look at him.

"Oh. What is it Sora?" Riku said almost abruptly. He went to try to push the platinum hair astray from his eyes, to try to make himself look more in composure than he really was.

"Riku, I just want to know if you're alright." Sora stated softly, the rest of group by the computers drowning the murmur between the two. It was better that way.

Riku merely shrugged.

"I'm fine." He answered.

Sora could detect the hesitance in his voice. Riku wasn't really one to go right out and admit a personal hindrance of any kind. He wouldn't just let you see his weak points. Sora decided if he wanted to really find out what was on Riku's mind, he'd have to make the topic Riku's current focus.

He glanced over at the dark sleeping girl. "I think she's gonna be okay." He said reassuringly, indicating towards Rhiara.

"What I want to know is why." Riku stated, still staring intently at her.

"Well, the King's going to clear that up I'm sure." Sora put in. "I mean…he has to know something."

Riku looked up from Rhiara and straight at Sora, with questioning eyes.

"But does he know enough? Or even more specifically, can he answer what I need to know?"

Sora looked at Rhiara, then Riku carefully. The ability to sense Light and Dark he had received from being the Key bearer perked. Right now he got an undeniable, yet vague sense of connection between the princess and Riku. What was more; he could almost feel as if her dark energy ran in a pattern compatible to his.

"Seriously Riku, what's on your mind?" Sora asked again. "It's got to be her."

Riku gave Sora an odd look, like he was surprised. Sora merely smiled.

"Come on Riku, I know more than you think I do. I can sense the connection. What's going on with you?"

Riku shook his head in doubt. "You're going to think I'm crazy…"

Sora almost laughed a little. "I'd think you'd give me a little more credit man. After all of the crazy stuff we've faced until now, nothing is impossible."

Riku sighed again and looked directly at Sora.

"I think I've seen her before. This is the short version. Remember right when the door had closed the first time, and I had told you to take care of Kairi?"

Sora nodded. "How could I forget? It took us forever to find you again."

"Well, right before the door closed, I think I saw something. I saw some one. And what I saw was a girl who had looked a lot like this one does now." Riku said intensely, obviously reaching a climax of intrigue in his story.

Sora stared bewildered. "Seriously? Why do you think you would have seen her?"

Riku ran a hand through his hair in thought. "I don't know, that's the weird part. But the girl I had seen had been running to the door. Calling out my name and crying. It was crazy. I thought it might have just been a hallucination on my senses before being pulled in the darkness…but now…seeing her…"

Riku shook his head, unable to explain further to Sora. He didn't know if Sora could truly understand what he was feeling right now. The past 24 hours had been full events that seemed incredibly impossible for him to comprehend. It was almost overwhelming.

Meanwhile, Sora was just nodding, looking off blankly as if thinking to himself in agreement.

" I know what you're feeling. That strange feeling, that you're not supposed to know who she is but…something is saying you definitely know her some how."

Sora then met his gaze straight to Riku and kept agreeing. "I get it Riku. It's really weird. I can get what you're saying. I had the same confusion with what Rhiara said. About her sister. The one I'm some how supposed to know."

Riku looked back down at Rhiara concerned, remembering the girls shocking episode. Her face had looked so strange, like she was trapped in some kind of daze. And she had been so worried and panicked, surely that panic couldn't be false…but…still…

Sora rested his head in his hand and sighed, he looked off across the room to the group, straight to gaze at Kairi. She was smiling and telling something animated to Aerith, Felicity, and Yuffie. She seemed so care free. As if absolutely nothing had been bothering her just a short time ago.

Sora breathed out defeated, seeming to finally be taken over by the day's confusion.

"I remember the look on Kairi's face. I don't think she knew that I saw, but it was confused. Hurt almost. Like I might have tried to keep something from her on purpose."

"We're all confused right now Sora," Riku reassured.

Rhiara shifted her head slightly to the right suddenly, and seemed to shiver again. Riku instinctively seemed to brush away the lock of hair from her face, and prepared to say something softly to her again. But then she began to murmur on her own.

"Is she saying something?" Sora exclaimed, watching her intently.

Riku nodded and shushed Sora. They both bent into listen, hoping whatever she might say in a subconscious state would give away something.

"She knows…" Rhiara whispered faintly. Her voice was so small the two could barely make out anything.

"She knows…how…can…she know…" she continued to breathe faintly.

"Who knows Rhiara?" Riku questioned softly in Rhiara's ear.

"…I'm there…" Rhiara finished her statement, not giving an answer to Riku's question.

"I don't think we can get much from her right now Riku," Sora said, noticing that whatever Riku might ask her would go unanswered.

Riku agreed, but in a disappointed manner. He had hoped that whatever he had been saying would get through to her and eventually help them figure out why she was continuously blacking out.

"She must be too into her dream. Man, this is so confusing. " He merely sighed, giving his bangs a final exasperated toss.

"Sora," he questioned his best friend. "How is it that we're always getting ourselves into situations like these?"

Sora merely laughed a little and shook his head. "I really don't know Riku. I guess when you have one of these," he pointed to the Keyblade Rhiara still hugged to her chest. "The trouble come in droves."

"Guess we're stuck with it," Riku said, with almost a smile on his face as he looked at Rhiara. Indicating that he didn't really mind at all.

Just then the door of Merlin's cottage was opened again, and in came a figure in a black robe. He spoke in a somewhat high, but commanding voice that still contained a friendly aura.

"Hey everyone! Sorry it took me a while to get here, but the trouble just seems to keep comin my way."

He lifted his hood and everyone in the room went to greet him. The pondering of Rhiara seemed as if it might come to an end. Their questions would soon be answered.

Because the King was here.

Oh my sweet lord…I updated something. I really have nothing to say other than I'm really sorry! Everything got deleted guys!

_**I want to punch my computer! I have to write the next big explanation scene all over again!**_

_***sob**_

_**I'm sooo sick of this!**_

_**Oh!**_

_**On a light note the new KH story I had been talking about is already beginning to be published and underway. Check it out. You guys will probably love it more than this one^^**_

_**-Tasia**_


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